Gossip Girl: Monaco, Je Suis Votre Princesse
by Acrobat Dances a Playful Tune
Summary: Betrayal, Seduction and Secrecy - the lifeblood of the Upper East Side, but for a time it looked like there was someone who walked among them that wouldn't sink to that level, until now - rumour has it that someone's publishing an exposé, xoxo Gossip Girl
1. Chapter 1

**Gossip Girl **

_Je suis votre princesse_

. . .

_Bonjour mes amis – something old, something new, something borrow and something blue – but my guess is that won't be the dress, that's right upper East Siders our Queen B is marrying and I've got a court side seat for all the drama,_

_You know you love me,_

_Xoxo _

_Gossip Girl_

. . .

The figure was still slight and she was still attractive, her form was holding…_for now_. She stroked her chest, now it was flat and perfect, she looked immaculate…five more months and that would all have changed, she'd give birth to a bastard who would never be the heir to the throne of Monaco and she'd probably be executed. Well maybe not executed, they had move on from the 16th century but the Royal Court would hardly look so well upon a pregnant bride prior to the Wedding, she'd certainly be excommunicated and her issue would be removed from succession. She frowned and touched at it some more…was that a fat line she could see?

Superficiality was everything in Monaco, the price of your watch, the designer of your dress…the quality of your shoes – you were always under constant scrutiny, the courtiers were not sympathetic – always prying for a mistake, not that Blair Waldorf made mistakes – she hadn't made a single once since coming to court, Dorotha had ensured that, her maid's knowledge of the European monarchies had proved quite useful, invaluable actually – something Blair didn't particularly relish admitting to herself but she made the exceptions since otherwise she would have to endure one of Sophie's Maids who she was quite sure both looked down at her as a commoner and also would have fed the intimate details of her private life straight to the Princess: trust was hard to come by.

Not that she'd told Dorotha about the pregnancy – why should she? There was no need to tell anyone yet…she still had a few weeks before she started showing for real…a few weeks to gather her thoughts, though she didn't wish to, she had to admit – grudgingly admit that she really needed Serena by her side. Blair might have been an adept at manipulation, seduction and subterfuge in general, but Serena tended to have excuses and lies covered as a department…unfortunately that would mean putting a call half way around the world to California and the possibility of her getting to a telephone in the palace was…slim.

She crossed the room from the mirror to her wardrobe, looking out the balcony window towards the harbour and the crystal clears waters of the Mediterranean beyond, it was a glorious day and she was stuck inside…not that she particularly enjoyed sunbathing but there was a certain allure to lounging on the balcony in the shade with a good novel. The whole reason she'd joined Louis in Monaco was to spend time with her fiancé before their marriage but she'd hardly seen him…he'd been too busy playing polo with Prince William and though Kate Middleton was nice…she wasn't exactly what Blair had in mind as best-friend material.

She opened the doors and walked into the annex, she admired the dresses, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Dior, Mulberry, Manolo Blahnik…it was ironic, she had almost everything she'd ever desired in a world, an excuse to read the classics all day, an excuse to wear the most fantastic clothes in the world without thought to price…and yet she was unhappy – or more correctly she wasn't happy. She wasn't sad – she was just…coasting along…it had always been a dream for her to be a Princess and it had been right for her to choose Louis over Chuck, but what was the point in her choosing happiness if even when she'd taken it she couldn't feel it? She couldn't see the point to it. You read stories about Princess Diana staying in a dead-end marriage with Prince Charles, about the unhappiness and how it drove her to bulimia…she didn't want that for herself. But then you couldn't really leave a Royal Engagement could you?

"Dorotha bring me _Wuthering Heights_." She called out.

. . .

Spending summer with your grandma wasn't exactly every gorgeous leggy blonde's dream, and Cece's personality didn't exactly endear her to her grandchild either but there was a certain allure to a summer in California away from the drama of the Upper East Side and that, coupled with the enterprising offer of writing the script for one of her favourite novels – _The Beautiful and Damned_ – had made the summer fly past. She had also become passionate about screenwriting, she had been in love with the book which had made adapting it for screen that much easier – she had of course been helped some of the way but it was basically her script and her ideas – and somehow it had gotten her creative fire burning.

She listened to the sea lapping at the shore, the methodical ebb and flow of the waves crashing onto the beach as she finished editing a scene from the mid-point of the film – they were in the final process of editing now, she'd already received some money upfront and she would receive the rest once they were satisfied with rewrites. A few tweaks to dialogue and a few additions to directions and she was contented with her work, her phone vibrated and she looked at the caller ID – Mom, Lily had been locked away in the Penthouse all summer…it was only a few weeks till she could be released on parole but Serena was still unsure whether that was even what Lily wanted…she was truly very lonely, most of her friends…if you could call them that had turned their back on her, did she want to be free in such a hostile New York?

"Hey mom," she said, shutting her laptop and strolling to her bed, flumping onto the vast double-bed and sinking into its comforting embrace, "how's New York?" She immediately regretted the question but at the same time it was a good way of seeing how Lily was feeling – not that she'd share her inner feelings, she would merely offer some kind of tone to her voice that Serena would be able to judge as happy or sad or indifferent, Lily had been a master at disguising her feelings since day one, when she wanted to, but her opinions always came across somehow. Her mom sighed on the end of the phone – she was upset then.

"The city's beautiful, in full bloom," she groaned, "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting back to freedom…just to be able to do what I used to…to be able to shop in stores or have lunch at the Four Seasons…I'm sorry, I'm boring you – how's the script-writing have you finished yet, I can't tell you how proud I am of you finding something like this to do while you're visiting Cece." Her mother confided sincerely - it was a deflection but Serena understood it was a necessary one, Lily was still unprepared to face her feelings.

Serena grinned, "It's good mom…really good, I'm just doing the last few rewrites and then the film should go into production next week I think the producer said, I'm getting paid upfront though so…if things don't go to plan I'm still in the clear, I think grandma's fine…still drinking but then that's nothing new…and abusing the _help_." She said in her best Cece imitation…her grandma could be rude but she was rude in that old person way that meant you couldn't actually tell them not to…because they were old…it was a warped kind of special treatment. "Hey have you spoken to Aunt Carol or Charlie?" Her thoughts drifted back to Charlie from time-to-time, she'd left New York a while back and Serena hadn't heard a thing from her which she thought was strange…before she went off her medication Charlie had been getting quite close to her…Serena didn't know why she wouldn't have called…maybe Carol was keeping her away from the phones…

"I spoke to Carol the other day but she's still…being evasive," evasive was one of Lily's adjectives that implied disapproval and disdain without being outwardly negative or offensive in tone, one had to have studied Lily's vernacular carefully to discern those little tweaks she used in stead of being outwardly rude, she had after all taken etiquette classes, "I wanted to invite her and Charlie to the city for my release Party but Carol said that she didn't think Charlie was emotionally prepared…even after three months away."

"Don't take it personally," she reassured, "I'm sure it isn't because they don't want to come…Charlie was pretty crazy before she left mom…she probably just needs time to get back into her routine at home and get settled."

"Well…maybe you're right," Lily said, sounding decidedly unconvinced, "give my love to Cece."

"Will do," Serena reassured and heard the phone go dead at her mother's end. She placed her phone on the bed and looked up at the canopy above it…if she'd stayed in New York she'd just have made her mom feel bad about keeping her daughter cooped up all summer…but then why did she feel guilty about it?

. . .

"So Lily is…?" Dan regretted going in with that line of questioning but conversation with his Dad had dried up and in all honesty he was a little concerned for his Step-Mom's sanity, she'd been in that apartment for months without any fresh air…from his point of view he'd have gone stir-crazy by that point and jumped from the building.

"Tired, stressed, angry," Rufus replied exasperatedly, "…she's Lily…she'll be fine in a few weeks when she gets out on parole, she just wants to you know, stroll around Central Park or shop at her favourite stores…she wants a life back. How are you and Eric?"

"Well…" Dan was debating whether to be honest with his Dad or give him the glossed-over version. In the glossed over version all they'd done was go for a few drinks around the Hampton's and otherwise had just relaxed at the House, relaxing at the House was true but a few drinks…was more like a _lot_ of drinks…with a lot of different girls in Dan's guys and different guy's in Eric's place. He'd actually been surprised at his Step-Brother, he hadn't pegged him for _that guy_, Eric had probably made out with more guys than Dan had girls and he'd certainly brought more people home, maybe this was him having his summer of indulgence before he went to College…Dan couldn't be sure. Maybe it wasn't even indulgence but some kind of explorative journey…all that he could tell was that Eric had been going at it for most of the summer and he didn't show any signs of slowing down, although it made more sense to tell Rufus the glossed over-version. "It's been pretty quiet," he finished quickly, "Eric's been reading most days…getting prepped for College."

"I'll have the truth when you get home," Rufus joked, "on a different note how do you feel about trying to get in touch with Charlie for me? Lily isn't having too much luck with Carol like I said but before she left you and Charlie had a bond, maybe you'd be able to speak to her?"

"I would do," Dan said sincerely, he had actually wondered how Serena's cousin was doing after her turn in New York, though she had clearly been on the verge of going over the edge when they'd briefly been dating they'd seemed to have a connection, and even some medication wouldn't discolour chemistry like that – or at least it wouldn't change it entirely, "but I never got her cell number before she left, did you ask Serena?"

"No but I didn't really want to get her involved," he admitted, "she's talking to Lily pretty often and I don't want to ruin her summer, if she really knew how torn up her mom is about Carol not showing then she'd be on the first flight home from Cece's and it's good for her to get some space, just like it's good for you to get some space too."

It was true that he'd enjoyed getting away from New York, the city could be suffocating after a while and the Hampton's was so…fresh…so alive…so vibrant, it was the perfect place for some down time after what had been even by Upper East standards a more than _dramatic_ year, it also meant that he could avoid thinking about Vanessa and everything else bad that he associated the city with. He missed his Dad and he missed Lily but he didn't miss the City, the Upper East Side had never felt like home the way Brooklyn had and even after four years his feelings were no different. In some ways he wished he'd never have to go back to New York, even if it meant seeing his friends when he went back it still wouldn't feel right. He was and always would be an outsider that was just the reality of it. His Dad had simply married into _good stock_, he would always be _lonely boy_ to them, he was kidding himself if he thought he belonged to the same stratus of the social hierarchy as Blair or Nate – they were a cut above him, even if they'd both had their reputations marred in scandal they were still valued above him: and he would never forget that.

"Sure…thanks Dad, I'll see you next week." Dan reassured.

"Bye Dan." Rufus replied in that same awkward familial way he always had. Dan threw the phone onto his bed and walked out of his bedroom, down the stairs and out onto the patio, making a beeline for one of the loungers beside the pool, Eric was already sat with a book and a pair of large sunglasses – evidently blocking out the glorious sunshine to stop it making his already painful hangover anymore. He was checking his phone, probably scanning the Gossip Girl headlines for the morning. Dan slumped into the lounger beside him and exhaled as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"So what's Gossip Girl talking about in the absence of her favourite Gossip topics?" Dan quizzed – without Blair and Serena in the city she'd lost her stars, Nate and Chuck were sleeping their way around the world, she didn't have anyone to terrorise. Eric laughed and passed him the phone.

"Apparently there's an exposé that's already in some social circles, an insider's published a tell-all about the Upper East Side from the inside," he said, grinning, "I wonder if Serena and Blair will make it in."

Dan froze on the spot but tried not to show it – it couldn't be his novel, surely it wasn't?

"She says the pen-name's anonymous but the book comes out for general release next week, Gossip Girl's also confirmed she didn't write it – wonder who'd write something like that though, they must have a death wish if they're still on the Upper East Side when everyone comes back…"

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be…Vanessa said she didn't send it…or was this just her final act of revenge? Dan didn't know and he had bigger things to worry about than why she'd done it, his novel was about to come out and he was going to lose the only friends he had in the world…and then he'd truly be an outsider…

. . .

"She was particularly…_delightful_." Chuck said, surveying his latest conquest as she swept out of the bedroom in very little clothing, quite a lot had been torn during the night so she would have to take what she could get, Nate was leafing through the papers, sipping at what looked to be a lethal cocktail in an ugly shade of pink, loud, bright and probably toxic. Nate seemed completely absorbed by the paper which was unusual, especially considering the night he'd had with two Swedish twins – or at least that's what it sounded like to Chuck in the rare instances when he'd been _distracted_.

"Sorry man, you say something?" Nate asked when he realized that he'd completely ignored Chuck's presence in the room.

Chuck regarded his friend, "Nothing. What's so interesting in the paper?" Chuck asked, grabbing one of the copies of the coffee table and briefly leafing through it, there was very little of immediate interest – then he found the article that he was reading through, "You're worried aren't you?"

"Not worried," Nate protest immediately, throwing the paper on the table as though he didn't care if it spontaneously combusted there and then, "just thinking about her…as a friend…Serena's in California, we've been sleeping our way around the world…and then there's Blair, trying to live in a foreign country where the only people she knows are Louis and Princess Sophie, and by the looks of that article Louis hasn't been with her for most of the summer."

"Louis is a good man," Chuck said sincerely, he wouldn't have let Blair go with anyone else but he'd known that it was what she truly wanted, what she truly needed, "and I have faith, once they're married things are different, right now Blair is probably just trying to ingratiate herself with the Royal Court, something we both know she excels at. If Louis hasn't been home then she'll have had more time to focus on that."

"Look I know that you gave her your blessing and everything," Nate addressed directly, looking him in the eye, "but did you think it through? I mean do you not still have feelings for her – if she marries him she can't just divorce him, they don't work like that – once that ring is on her finger then she's gone man, gone from our world and living in a world…a world that's members only."

Chuck nodded knowingly, "I considered that all but on reflection Blair needs this time to herself Nathaniel, as I needed the summer to myself, look we'll be back in New York next week, Blair will be flying in to meet some of the people she wants to help her with the Wedding – if things need saying then they can be said then, for now," Chuck said looking Nate in the eye, "drink that cocktail, we'll find you a girl and you can have some fun okay?"

Nate smirked back at Chuck's simple assessment, though he didn't buy that there wasn't a chance Chuck would see Blair when she was back, he might have given her away but he still had his mind on her – Nate could see that in the fact that he was still trying to obliterate the pain in a haze of booze and cheap whores, there were going to be fireworks when they finally got back to the City.

. . .

_This just in, looks like there's a budding author among you, and in the pursuit of millions of dollars he's sold his soul to a publishing giant – let's just hope it was worth it anonymous. Hell hath no fury like an Upper East Sider Scorned, the suspense is killing me,_

_Xoxo_

_Gossip Girl_

. . .

My first Gossip Girl fic so reviews are much appreciated,

The good, the bad and the ugly,

Acrobat

X


	2. Chapter 2

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_They came among you, and played their part well, duped you into thinking they were your friend, all the time gathering information for the mother of all take-downs. Watch your back Upper East Siders, your dirty laundry's about to be hung out to dry,_

_Xoxo, Gossip Girl_

. . .

"If you ask me she's just pissed she didn't do something like this," Nate said, putting his phone away in his pocket, he'd checked all the vitals once they'd landed and was now just contented to be back in the City, even if his lack of sleep and jetlag was making it hard to stay awake, "whoever this is saw behind closed doors – something she could never have. She's probably running scared."

"Assuming it is a she," Chuck mused, pouring himself a drink, "Bourbon?"

"No," Nate protested immediately laughing a little, "you might be able to stomach it but my heads all over the place – not too sure that your finest vintage is the best idea."

Chuck laughed, downing his in one go, he looked out as the skyscrapers of Manhattan loomed out of the darkness in the distance, the city was ablaze at night, Manhattan was never truly absorbed by the darkness – merely dulled slightly, though in Chuck's eyes this was when the city was at its most mesmerising. In the darkness one could see the true character of the buildings, the reasons their architects had designed them and the reason that they had endured so long. He was probably feeling as bad as Nate if not worse but he didn't show it – that was the mark of someone who'd spent their infantile years being groomed on the Upper East Side, you never showed your emotions – you guarded them well, they were after all your greatest weakness.

"As much as I'd love to rush back to the Empire I think I'll stop by and see Lily," Chuck considered aloud, "are you coming to the Party tomorrow night?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Nate affirmed confidently, "assuming I'm actually awake, right now I'm struggling to even keep my eyes open. I think it'd be important to Serena that I go anyway…we kinda left things…unclear when we left – Charlie kinda took priority over everything else, wonder how Dan is."

"Humphrey will be fine," Chuck deflected, he didn't much like Dan nor did he like the fact that he had not only somehow wormed his way into Nate's confidence but he'd also become something of an acquaintance to Blair, something Chuck would never have seen before – then again he'd never have predicted Dan dating someone above his social strata like Serena in the first place so anything was possible, "I imagine he'll be coming tomorrow night."

"What about Jenny?" Nate probed – he had heard much about Dan's sister but the Party seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring her back into the family fold after being away for so long, Chuck shrugged in response, scanning his cell for any updates.

He looked out the window, they were on the outskirts of Manhattan now, soon they'd be moving amongst the tall spires, "I doubt Rufus would bring Jenny back…he'll want Lily's night to go off without incident and where there's Jenny-"

"-there's incident." Nate finished knowingly, "I wonder if the author will have come forward by the time of the Party tomorrow."

"They'll probably be there," he considered, pouring himself another drink, "I'm surprised Lily's even having so many people, I thought she'd fallen out with her friends after the rough ride she had but evidently she's smoothed things over." He raised an eyebrow at Nate and his face gave it all away.

He held his hands up, "I might have said something to mom, I just pointed out she'd been friends with Lily for ages and that for all her flaws she should just try and look past it, I mean it's not like the Archibald's struggle with eating their pride or anything." He grinned – his family had been through a lot and had gone from the heavens to the abyss and now they were…coasting along at midlevel and that was all he wanted. "Maybe I will have that drink."

Chuck smirked and poured out a fresh glass for himself and a second one for Nate, the two chinked glasses in a toast, "To the City." Chuck declared.

"To the City." Nate repeated, clinking the glasses together and then downing the Bourbon and looking up at the first few skyscrapers as they passed back into their world – into their home.

. . .

The door opened and the Apartment seemed exactly as he remembered it before he'd left, there had been a few changes, a few new pieces of artwork – Lily had probably needed to spend the time scouring the internet for a few pieces from her favourite artists if only to distract her from her parole, but otherwise the place seemed the same. The living area was deserted though; Rufus was the first one down from the bedroom, dressed in a casual shirt, chinos and deck-shoes – clearly though they'd spent the summer indoors they hadn't lost the spirit of the season. Chuck shook his hand as Lily followed a moment later, dressed in a burgundy maxi dress – she looked very pale, probably again a result of her house arrest. She also looked tired and slightly stressed – though that was nothing new, the only new thing was that she normally covered it up far better, she prided herself on maintaining her appearance.

"Charles," she greeted warmly, he kissed her on the cheek affectionately, "it's so good to have you back in the City in time for my parole party – I assume you're coming?"

Chuck nodded affirmatively, "How could I miss it? I have a little business to attend to tomorrow so I won't be free for most of the day but I'll be here in the evening, should I ask how summer was or would you prefer that I didn't?"

"It was fine," Lily said, strolling into the kitchen and producing a bottle of wine, pouring it into the three waiting glasses Rufus had prepared, "I mean I have watched enough films to last me a lifetime and also read more literature than I should ever have to but otherwise it's been fine, I owe it all to Rufus," she smiled warmly at her husband, "even I have to admit I have been suffering from cabin fever, you never quite realize how much you take your freedom for granted until you can't even walk down a street." She drank deeply from her glass, while Rufus only sipped at his, Chuck looked at the wine and decided against it, returning it to the breakfast bar – he should pay attention to Nate's example, drink and jet-lag weren't a good combination, especially when you had business meetings early in the morning. "And how was your trip with Nate?"

"Illuminating," he replied evasively – best not to impart the grittier details of their journey, "like old times – it was good to get away and explore…different cultures, when we stopped in Hong Kong I did actually talk to someone about buying a majority share in a Hotel there, a pipeline idea," he added quickly when he saw Rufus and Lily's faces, "rebrand the place, renovate it and open it as the first in the chain of the Empire International – but that's only a pipeline idea."

"Of course," Lily stated, "well it's inspired that your thinking beyond New York now Charles, your developing into quite the entrepreneur, I've concerned myself with spending rather than earning any money recently…I've become quite the connoisseur of wine, in fact I believe we had a delivery yesterday didn't we?" Rufus nodded affirmatively, "Would you like to come see it Charles – perhaps you could stock it in the cellar at the _Empire_?"

"Perhaps tomorrow," Chuck deflected diplomatically, noting Lily's glum expression, "I should probably get going, I was just stopping by to see you, I've got a full day of meetings tomorrow morning. I'll see you tomorrow." Lily smiled and accepted a kiss on the cheek and noted the handshake between her husband and step-son and watched him leave the apartment, despite their tribulations she was getting back to an amicable relationship with Charles – that had been all she had ever wanted after what happened to his father.

"Did Cece call?" Lily enquired, drinking some of her wine.

"Yes – she's chartered a private jet so Serena will be flying home at leisure tomorrow, I think Cece wanted to spend a little more time with her before she left," Rufus clued-up, "how do you want to play things with Chuck and Blair tomorrow?"

"Well how we normally do Rufus," Lily said uninterestedly as if it was the most mundane of processes, "we keep them apart, if they meet they meet and we hope that there are no fireworks – she's engaged to the Prince of Monaco, Blair will want to keep as a low a profile as possible and Charles will respect that."

"Any word from Carol?" Rufus asked.

"Still straight to answering machine," Lily drank deeply from her glass – her sister had put a great strain on her and made things unnecessarily difficult, "I think I'm just going to have to content myself with my husband, my children and my friends tomorrow night Rufus darling." Rufus frowned, she might be putting on a façade but he could see straight through it: she was torn up about this and he would get to the bottom of it.

. . .

The glorious sunshine beaming through the window had been what woke her – that and the distant lapping of the waves on the golden, sandy beach, Serena reflected that she had probably fallen just a little in love with California. She was sad to be leaving, Cece had actually been quite bearable and Serena had liked spending time with her Grandmother, though something of her sadness was more attached to what she was leaving behind. Though she dreamed of screenwriting and had become passionate about it, once she was back at College there would be very little opportunity for her to write again…except in her papers…and that wasn't the kind of writing she was interested in.

Reluctantly, knowing that it would mean the beginning of the end of her summer Serena slipped out of her bedroom and down the stairs – she was planning on grabbing a croissant and some orange juice and taking it up to her bedroom to just relax before she started packing for the flight: that was the benefit of flying private, she was under no pressure to run out the door, she could take things at a sedate pace. She blinked dozily – she was still half-asleep, and then found herself smiling as she entered the Dining Room. It wasn't the panoramic view of the beach and the deep indigo ocean that had her exited however, it was the breakfast, one of Cece's maids swept past with a bottle of champagne and on cue Serena's grandmother entered, dressed in a Paisley Gown. She smiled and Serena crossed the room to kiss her on the cheek.

"My send-off," Cece declared warmly, stretching her arms out as though she'd conjured the croissants and fruit out of thin air, "sit down – Maria open a bottle of champagne." Her grandmother was still struggling with her drinking, but she was old and stubborn, and old, stubborn people were very hard to dissuade from their old habits. The principle you can't teach an old dog new tricks was never truer than in regard to Cece who was smearing Apricot Jam over a croissant, Serena settled in her chair and narrowly avoided a cork in the face as Maria, Cece's long-suffering maid opened a bottle and poured her a glass, somehow Serena wasn't entirely sure that Champagne at this time in the morning was a wise idea but, taking a look at how happy Cece was she decided to amuse her grandmother. Cece was probably sad to see her granddaughter leave too, though Serena reminded herself it was Cece's fault; she could very easily join Serena on the flight to New York for Lily's party.

"Well do start darling," Cece implored, "would you like a grapefruit?" Serena reluctantly took a spoonful of strawberries and sipped at her champagne – immediately regretting it as the alcohol filtered into her system.

"I'm okay," Serena protested, spearing a particularly large strawberry particularly aggressively – she was tired - and placing it in her mouth whole, she chewed it over as she avoided Cece's gaze and looked out to the sea – that was something that she would miss when she got back to the City, a crystal clear ocean, "I think Mom's sad Carol isn't coming tonight, I think she'd be happy if you came though Grandma?"

Cece smiled politely but Serena could tell it wasn't a sincere one; she had learned to read her Grandma's expressions after a long summer spent studying them and instantly understood she wasn't going to win this argument, even though she was going to try hard.

"A delightful idea," Cece enthused falsely, "but I think your Mother would prefer it if it was just…_immediate_ family," she didn't justify her reasoning, "besides I've already arranged to meet people and my Diary is fully booked today, as soon as you leave the Airport I have people to see, things to do, sights to see…," she paused as she took in her granddaughter's expression, "I'm sorry Serena but…it just wouldn't be…right."

"Sure," Serena said glumly, chewing a few more strawberries, "I just thought it might be nice to have the family or at least some of the family together for one night, guess that's the impossible dream?"

Cece laughed a little, "It isn't like I'm avoiding you darling, I just…won't be there this time, there will be other family occasions," Cece paused as though she was weighing something over, "have you given thought to maybe staying on here in California?"

"College starts in a few weeks," Serena immediately shot-down, "I'd have to go back regardless."

"Of course," Cece said, sipping at her champagne, "I just thought you might consider the career opportunities here, I'm rather well connected – perhaps I could introduce you to some Industry Executives, maybe you could get a few commissions? Or perhaps I could see if there are any writing courses – of course you might have to move to Los Angeles for a little while but that wouldn't be so bad would it?"

"Grandma I can't," Serena cut-off definitely, "it isn't that I don't want to – I know there are better career opportunities or whatever but I have to make my own path, I can't just rely on my family…I've done that too often…I need to strike out on my own."

"Naturally," Cece said, finishing her champagne and shaking her glass gesturing for a top-up, "are you packed?"

"No I still have to get it done," she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she checked it and groaned, "_another_ Gossip Girlpost."

Cece gave her a pensive look, "Do you think it's wise to go back with this exposé looming over you Serena? You have a somewhat…suspect past, it's very possible that you know whoever authored it, perhaps you should stay here until the storm blows over darling?"

"Gossip Girl never stopped me before Grandma, she isn't going to stop me this time and neither is this stupid exposé, and it's probably just some big publicity stunt anyway." Serena reasoned, the issue with an anonymous exposé was that as soon as it was published the people described within it would be able to determine who was responsible, so it had to be a hoax – or else the person that authored it had a death wish.

. . .

Blair descended the staircase carefully – the gown was gorgeous but it was designed for impact rather than practical application, the pair of heels she as teetering in were not helping either, the dress swept down over her legs giving her the semblance of gliding, Dorotha had styled her hair in one of the traditional European styles with a plait across the front of her head and the rest of it arranged up – it had been a lengthy preparation but it would be worth it if Louis were happy to see her. Her Prince was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, smiling dressed in a tuxedo, she finally made it down the stairs and gingerly moved into his embrace, kissing him softly on the lips before parting and locking her hand with his as they moved through the Palace toward the courtyard.

They said little and then ducked outside past the guards and moved towards the Limo, the Chauffeur held open the door as Blair navigated the small space, settling on the seat as Louis ducked through the door on the opposite side taking her hand again as the limo pulled away from the courtyard and moved out onto the driveway. She leaned across and kissed him more passionately this time – their moments of affection had been fleeting during the summer and she was pleased to have her fiancé back in her life.

"How have you been," he asked as they pulled apart, "I am sorry that I have been away for so long," he kissed her hand lovingly, "my mother has seen to everything I trust?"

"Yes right down to keeping me cooped up exempt when she rolls me out to meet Courtiers for little chats – she won't even let me have a telephone, something about a Princess-in-waiting learning the benefits of patience and detachment, I'm well aware that we'll spend most of our time here or on Royal Business Louis but I mean seriously? No phone?" Blair fumed – besides loneliness her other burning emotion was fury, it had been bubbling away beneath and now she had a chance to redress her grievances and she would take it with both hands.

Louis shrugged, "My mother is a traditionalist, before she married my father she spent six months where her only contact was when she was brought meals and when she was allowed out by my grandmother to meet the Queen of England," he looked saddened my the news, "I am sorry that she has been like this – I will see to it that you are given a Telephone as soon as you get back from New York." He said sincerely as though that would fix everything. Blair frowned at that point, a confused frown – as soon as she got back from New York? But he was supposed to be coming with her?

"Sorry I must have heard you wrong, you mean when we get back from New York?" Blair enquired, tightening her grip only marginally on his hand as she felt her concern rising.

"Blair I'm sorry I thought I made it clear, you are going to New York to enquire about Dresses for the Wedding, it is not necessary for me to go and besides while you are away myself and my mother must entertain the Queen Regnant of the Netherlands." Blair gave him an appalled look and then turned away to look out as the limo swept out of the gateposts. "Blair I am sorry if there was a misunderstanding – but you were always to make this trip alone and then you will return to Monaco we will be married and you can leave New York behind you forever." He smiled warmly and kissed her on the cheek affectionately but Blair pulled away from him aghast. She could feel tears forming but she held them back – she wasn't going to embarrass him in public, Blair looked out and fought back a sob – she had chosen this life and she would have to make sacrifices. As soon as the luncheon was over she would board a plane to New York, the last time she would fly into the City and she couldn't even bear to think about that. No-one ever told you how hard or painful it was until the event. No-one ever told you what you were giving up in the pursuit of love.

. . .

_The hardest choices are those taken in our darkest hours, but when you sign a deal with the devil you can expect to be burned. The ties that bind are so easily broken, and in this world you often find your at the crossways only to find that your strings were cut a long time ago. All eyes are on you know – the next move is yours,_

_Xoxo, Gossip Girl._

. . .

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2,

Sorry if you don't like my writing style but that's just the way I do things, I can't really rectify that,

Hope you'll stay with me for Chapter 3,

Acrobat

X


	3. Chapter 3

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_She's brunette, a bitch and has been S and B's most prolific enemy, but rumour has it Georgina Sparks has gone one step further this time, fact or fiction Georgina, the walls have ears, _

_and on the Upper East Side, a secret is rarely kept for long,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

"Mom," Serena greeted excitedly, tossing her handbag onto the sofa and hugging her Mom warmly – it really had been too long, "it's so great to see you – the place looks amazing," Serena said, spinning on her heels to take in the entire lounge, it had the perfect opulent and extravagant tone for the Parole Party and would remind any of Lily's friends who had taken advantage of her prolonged isolation that there was only one woman that dominated the Upper East Side Social Circuit, "Grandma sends her love."

Lily smiled politely as she strode through to the kitchen, and grabbed one of the bouquet's offering it to Serena, "We're going to put a dozen or so of these around the room to give it a late summer fragrance and the canapés are to die for – I ordered a gorgeous Salmon Pâté that you must try tonight. Are you looking forward to seeing Blair, has she landed yet?"

"Gossip Girl spotted her at JFK about an hour ago so I guess she'll be heading over to hers," Serena paused as though she had a burning question, "tonight Mom would it be okay if I stayed here in my own room – I just thought Blair and Louis might like a little space to themselves tonight? Blair's only here for five days so I guess I'll let her spend time with Louis."

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to stay at the Empire?" Lily enquired, "I'm sure Charles would happily provide you a room – oh I am sorry Serena would you like a drink, how rude of me you must be thirsty after your flight?"

Serena laughed, "Actually no…Cece insisted that I take my glass of champagne with me and I don't think it would have stopped flowing on the plane unless I'd told the Stewardess to stop…no I thought it'd be nice to spend some time with you and Rufus and Eric while we're all together…you know like a family – do you not want me to stay or something?"

"It isn't that," Lily protested but paused as she was interrupted by the chime of the elevator, "that will be Rufus." Lily strolled briskly past Serena and kissed her husband softly on the lips, Serena could see Rufus carrying two cases and then frowned, he had no need for them and she felt her stomach sink because she knew exactly who would be following him. Dressed in what scarcely passed for a skirt and top, with starkly slim legs and ethereally white skin Jenny swept in, her entire look topped off by large sunglasses which she immediately swept off her face as she regarded Serena.

"What is she doing here?" Serena demanded.

"Your mother wanted the family together…" Rufus began but Serena didn't want to hear it, she swept past the trio but stopped before finally leaving to survey the scene – Jenny was taking Serena's old room which was why she couldn't stay, typical. Just as the family was getting comfortable and back on track, Jenny decides to show up on the scene and suddenly everyone is thrown into chaos: or had what happened with Juliet escaped anyone's memories?

"As far as I'm concerned Jenny isn't and never will be my family," Serena snapped, turning on her heel and slipping inside the elevator just as the doors closed – she didn't want to stay in that environment. Jenny was poisonous and she always had been, her sweet, innocent act had only been masking her real personality – the Upper East Side might have contributed to it but it didn't just create new people, it had simply unearthed the monster within and Serena didn't want to face off against Jenny again. She wasn't even sure she wanted to go to the Party tonight knowing what she did – somehow the attraction of spending the night with your psychotic step-sister wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind as a relaxing way to ease herself back into School.

"I thought that went rather well," Rufus enthused, putting the cases down on the floor and then rounding on his daughter, "considering what you did."

"Look maybe I should go," Jenny reasoned, "I mean Serena doesn't want me here and I don't want to spoil tonight."

Lily shook her head, "You couldn't spoil it darling, my sister and mother took care of that all by themselves," Lily said, avoiding Rufus's gaze as she remembered something, "I must recall the man about that fountain." She walked away, feeling Rufus's eyes following after her, she should have been happy with her family and friends but somehow she couldn't be content…not with Carol and Cece out of the picture, it didn't feel right.

. . .

_When we think we've laid the past to rest, and turned our backs on what came before, fate has a way of coming full circle – she's back Upper East Siders and rumour has it she's got a mission – welcome home Little J, I've missed you,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

The birds sang cheerily in the trees and she looked out from her balcony, surveying the enchanted forest lying beyond the Tower, she had been kept here so long that she had forgotten what it smelt like – the forest – what it felt like to roam care freely amongst the tall evergreens and to sing with the birds and echo their melody with one of her own. It was a wonderful day – as it always was in the enchanted forest, unfortunately she had been trapped in the Tower for so long that she had been unable to join in, apart from looking out from her balcony and longing for an escape – longing for a Knight to rescue her.

"Blair," a masculine voice called and she looked out and then heard it call again, "Blair let down your hair." She looked down and spied him, he was dark-aired and dashing, dressed in silver armour, the visor on his helmet raised so he could look upon her. "I will climb up and rescue you from your imprisonment." Blair wasn't sure her hair was long enough to reach that length, then she turned around and saw it trailing away into the distance, she bundled it together and hurled it over the side of the balcony and leant over – she felt the tugging and felt the Knight begin to ascend it: it hurt at first but the pain was only temporary. A gloved hand appeared on the balcony and the Knight swept inside and embraced Blair and she kissed him lovingly, as she had hungered to do for so long. She looked into his eyes and then frowned: _Chuck_.

"Ladies and Gentlemen the Pilot has engaged the fasten seatbelt signs…" a voice intoned over the inter-comm and Blair was drawn out of her dream, she pulled up her eye-mask and looked around the First Class Cabin, sunshine was pouring into the cabin from the windows along either side and she looked up and down the aisles – Chuck wasn't there…it had just been a dream, but that she was dreaming about Chuck was worrying. She was supposed to be in love with Louis but somewhere in their whirlwind romance the spark had fizzled out, she had lost the love she had once felt for him…but she was carrying his child. Didn't that mean she should try – wasn't it a sign?

It was always a bad sign when she dreamt fairytales where Chuck was her Prince Charming – it was a sign that her subconscious was still in love with him, that it wanted her to give in and tell Louis the engagement was off…but she couldn't do that. The spark might have left with Louis but she could love him again…she just needed to spend time with him again, that was the flaw – which was exactly why she had hoped he'd come to New York. They'd fall deeply in love again before the Wedding and then she could tell him that she was pregnant with his child – except that was no longer an option, she'd planned to tell him in the comfort of her home surroundings, in New York.

Now would be denied even that advantage and she would be evicted in Monaco, in front of the entire Royal Court and would be branded a whore and cast out without a second glance – Princess Sophie would be unforgiving she had only after persuasion taken to Blair and even then her approval was fleeting, Blair was a commoner and an unknown quantity, she was not a perfect Bride-to-be like some of the more eligible catches in the European Monarchies. She had no titles, she was merely a member of a family that wielded a modicum of influence in New York and in the Fashion Industry – it was hardly a glowing dowry.

"Why did you mention Mr Chuck while you were sleeping?" Dorotha enquired from the seat next to her, she had finished reading one of her Polish Gossip Magazines and had done all the puzzles on the back pages – she led a much simpler existence than Blair.

Blair glared at her, "I didn't mention him – you obviously misheard me Dorotha."

It was true then: she was still in love with Chuck.

. . .

"I can't remember the last time we did this," Serena enthused as they strolled around the pond, looking at all the people there feeding the Ducks, looking at the range in ages of the couples there – the thirteen year-olds on their first romantic date, the golden-anniversary couple getting some fresh air and then Serena looked at Nate, she sometimes wished things had turned out differently between them, but they hadn't and she couldn't turn back the clock, "hey I didn't really get a chance to ask how Raina is – have you spoken to her since she went back to Chicago?"

Nate laughed, "I think she's fine carving out her own Business Empire, we've texted a few times but…" his losing his train of thought as the wind rustled through the trees was indicative enough of how badly the spark had dimmed and subsequently died between them, "we're a world apart now – she might as well be on the other side of the world…something tells me that me and Raina were never gonna work out anyway…she was too uptight."

Serena giggled, "And you're implying that I'm too free-spirited?" she grinned as they sat down on a bench by the pond, bathing in the warm sunlight pouring down through the skyscrapers reaching up towards the nourishing light like trees fighting for nourishment in the rainforest canopy, "I wanted to say thank you for what you did with your mom, it means a lot to my mom that Anne's going tonight."

"Well I just pointed out that they'd been friends for a long time and even if Lily's done things that have made her unpopular she just wants to make amends," Nate explained and Serena nodded knowingly, "besides my Mom knows what its like…when my Dad went she got given the social pariah treatment, she can relate to Lily and my Mom isn't so secure herself that she can just throw away her friendships like that."

Serena smiled and then plucked her phone out of her pocket as it vibrated – an unknown caller, "Do you mind if I take this?" Nate shook his head obligingly and she hit the answer button, "Serena Van Der Woodsen," she paused for a few moments and then waited to hear the person on the other end, "yeah I just finished the last few edits to the screenplay," she paused again, "well I was only in California for the summer, I live in New York…I'm studying at Columbia," she paused again, "I can't do tonight – but I could see you tomorrow morning if that works better?" The voice carried on and then she murmured, "Thank you." Ending the call, receiving an inquisitive looked from Nate who raised his eyebrow as his face creased in puzzlement.

"Who was that?" he nudged.

"That was an intern from Smithson's Screenwriting Agency, they work with all the big studios adapting novels into scripts and creating independent ideas, they're scouting for new writers and they just got passed my script for _The Beautiful and Damned_, they want me for an interview," she declared, standing up immediately and Nate mirrored as they began their circuit once more, "I think I just got offered a dream job."

"You sure you can do this and keep up with your classes?" Nate questioned, "Not that I don't think you could do it," he protested quickly on sight of her look, "just College is a lot of work anyway, are you sure you can handle taking on a job as a Screenwriter, I mean that's working twenty-four hours a day, seven-days a week Serena, let's take your papers out of the question when are you gonna have time to go to classes?"

Serena shrugged, "It's just an idea, maybe they won't even want me…I mean it isn't like I have any experience or anything," she paused as they came to a bridge and rested her elbows on it, looking out toward the pond, Nate set down opposite her, "what are your plans for this year anyway – are you seeing anyone now or…?"

"Not that I know off," he confessed truthfully, "to be honest I did enough of that over summer…I've kinda had a run of no-starters anyway, I mean Juliet turned out to be a nutjob and Raina left after finding out that how twisted her Dad is…I need a normal girlfriend," he turned and looked at her and their eyes met for a moment before parting, "maybe someone up there's trying to tell me I shouldn't be looking further afield but at what's right next to me."

"Maybe," Serena murmured, failing to disguise a little smile, "so are you worried something about you is gonna come out in this expose?"

"I'm hardly the most interesting person on the Upper East Side," he chuckled, "I think if anyone is in the firing line here Serena it's you – anyway," he said looking at his watch, "it's time you went to meet Blair – she should be home by now, I'll see you tonight."

"Definitely!" Serena affirmed, the presence of Jenny might have annoyed her but she had recognized the need to be the bigger person, her Mom had enough to deal with without her daughter and step-daughter being at war with one another – Serena could cool tensions for a night and besides maybe a night at the Empire wouldn't be so bad, she mused as she walked away from Nate, dwelling on what the night ahead held for them all.

. . .

The Loft was small and comforting – that was why it was like a Home to him, that was why it was so easy to find things – normally. But somehow he'd lost his book – or misplaced it, with every passing second he felt more anxious, more nervous and recognized the inevitability that Vanessa hadn't just left his book at the Loft. She'd for some unknown reason taken it to the publisher because either she'd deluded herself into thinking he'd thank her for destroying his life or because she was doing it out of hatred because he had rejected her and spurned her attempts at friendship. Regardless Vanessa was the issue.

If he could have he would have turned the Loft upside down but he didn't have the time or the strength to do it, in stead he slumped onto the floor in defeat – he wasn't going to find the copy, Vanessa had taken it to the publisher and when it went on general release at midnight in the various twenty-four hour bookstores across the city it would become immediately clear that he had been the author – he had to write it from his viewpoint…he could have written it in the third person or altered events to guard himself but instead he'd been an idiot and poured his entire ramblings into it. About Serena. About Blair. About Nate. He was fairly sure after the things he'd written about Chuck he'd get taken out by a hired gun.

He flipped open his laptop, opening Skype and put through a call to Vanessa – he might as well find out what she had done, so he could begin effective damage control as soon as he knew what had happened, she answered almost immediately – she'd clearly been on the laptop. She was smiling; it was early evening in Barcelona he could tell from the sunset backlight, she sipped at her drink and then placed it down.

"Hey Dan how are you?" she asked as if she had no idea how monumentally she had ruined his life.

"Why did you do it Vanessa?" he demanded, "When I told you not to do anything – the book isn't here and I know you gave it to that publisher – what possessed you Vanessa? Because I'm trying to understand what thought process you were going through when you thought screwing up my life and my friendships was a good idea."

"Okay firstly," Vanessa snapped angrily, "if they really are your friends and not just superficial stereotypes that are completely representative of the kind of people that live on the Upper East Side, then they won't mind because the way you ended the book rounds things off and you've actually sugar-coated them to a degree, and secondly I'm not screwing up your life – Dan these people are offering you hundreds of thousands of dollars – this is the chance to launch your literary career, I'm _helping you_."

Dan glared at her, "If you think they're going to be my friends after what I've written Vanessa then you're just being naïve – I thought that you wanted us to be friends but clearly that isn't true and because your bitter you've decided to screw up what few friends I actually have, so thank you for ruining my life and you know what…just don't even bother sending me the cheques Vanessa, maybe the money will help sooth the fact that you're so alone you actually had to move continent to find people that would like you." He ended the phone, perhaps the last comment had been unnecessarily harsh but Vanessa had needed telling and he needed to vent his anger somewhere, because though he was angry with himself he couldn't just bang his head against the wall until he slipped into a coma. He would have to step up and face the furore that was swirling around the possible writing of the expose – but he couldn't now.

He looked at the clock – he had about ten hours until his entire life fell apart and he lost the people who he cared about most in the world.

. . .

_Spotted, Little J at an anonymous Magazine Building – the first interview for her debut novel? You do the math Upper East Siders, _

_Xoxo Gossip Girl _

. . .

Hope you liked Chapter 3,

Reviews welcome and appreciated,

Chapter 4 up soon,

Acrobat x


	4. Chapter 4

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_Dominating the social calendar is an objective for any veteran Upper East Sider, but in Lily Van Der Woodsen's case looks like a simple brunch or gala for an endangered species wouldn't suffice – you're cordially invited to the parole party of the century, I've already got my outfit Lily,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl _

. . .

"Are you sure you want to do this, put yourself out there in the full glare of the media?" Eric quizzed as he helped arrange the various decorative drapes that would be adorning the apartment, his mother had at first seemed ashamed, then angry, then contented and then bored with her parole but he had never expected her to use it as a launch-pad to renew her otherwise limp social life. Most of the women of the Upper East Side had tried and subsequently failed to profit from Lily's extended leave of absence, Anne Archibald foremost among them had attempted to usurp Lily's rightful place on top. Luckily that little coup had failed to materialize into anything potent and Lily's traditional allies had rallied around, Eric had even seen Anne's name on the Guest List so clearly Lily was intending on drawing up peace accords.

"Darling either I put it out there on my terms or some so-called journalist cooks up a story for the tabloids about it and makes the problem ten times worse," Lily stated simply as she admired the quality of the fabric in the drapes, "it's going to be business as usual – tonight will go off like a hitch and things will go back to how they used to be – it'll be like I never left." Eric somehow doubted his mother's optimism but decided against mentioning it to her in case he received an acid-tongued rebuke from her.

He shrugged, "I guess I'm just worried mom, you've been locked up here for a while, I just thought you might want it to be low key, avoid the glare being put on the fact that you've been under _house arrest_," he could see a glare beginning as his mother's face started to crease, "but it isn't my call to make – as long as you're happy. Just one thing though – would you mind if I invited someone tonight?" Lily took her glasses of and grinned broadly. "Don't look so surprised." Eric snapped.

"I'm just pleased," Lily enthused, "to be honest since Jonathon I had worried about you a little but it's good to know that you're dating, do I know him? Is he from a good family – it would be so nice if you did better than Serena's latest run of boys." She remarked disparagingly, though Lily might have relaxed her ambitions for her children's future relationships she had long harboured hopes that one of them would marry well, she just wouldn't have predicted Eric.

"Relatively," he replied elusively, "Chuck introduced us actually; I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it?"

Lily frowned mildly, not that she didn't trust Charles's judgement but something about his particular relationship history didn't inspire confidence for his viability as matchmaker, she removed herself of the thought immediately – Eric seemed happy and he could judge for himself what he wanted: most of the time.

"By all means," she said warmly, "so how were the Hampton's – is that were you two met?"

Eric grinned mildly, "They were interesting, it was good to get away from the City, quite an eye-opener actually, but don't worry I brought Dan back in one piece," he promised, prompting a rare laugh from Lily, "he's been acting a little strangely the past few days but I guess he's just a little anxious…this whole exposé thing is…putting a lot of people on edge, he's probably worried he's going to come across as Serena's groupie."

"Well he was at first," Lily reminded harshly, "but thankfully they moved past that phase in their relationship, I must admit even I'm mildly intrigued by it, and pensive – I have a feeling that some of Serena's antics might finally catch up with her. It's true that she hasn't exactly kept her indiscretions…behind closed doors but the slightest tweaking of events and things could become…immeasurably worse…but we'll just have to cross this bridge when we come to it," Lily paused a moment – obviously weighing up how to change conversation, "which shade of magenta do you like?" Lily asked indicating the drapes arranged before them, Eric gestured without looking – he was thinking about the exposé now – in only a few hours it would hit general release and then there would be no hiding place, for anyone.

. . .

She strolled into the dressing room slowly – it was the cavernous private type that allowed an entire judging panel to sit-in on wardrobe decisions – not that Blair needed that, she was attended by Dorotha who stood pensively at the sidelines, flitching every time Blair turned as though she was worried she was about to receive a storm of verbal abuse and one of the attendants who stood beside the dress rack offering her various ones.

The current one was a Vivienne Westwood, one-shouldered, indigo-coloured dress – one of Blair's preferred colours, Serena could see Blair admiring herself in the mirror but she somehow looked unhappy with her enviably slim form – as though she was finding the tiniest of imperfections in a sea of glorious beauty. Serena knew Blair was a perfectionist – she always had been since their days at Constance but this was something else, Blair was actively seeking out flaws in herself that simply weren't there, perhaps she'd just been going at it too long.

"You look beautiful," Serena declared as she strode into the room, she was embracing the summery weather, having chosen a paisley jumpsuit in magenta and jade, Blair turned to her grinning broadly and the two embraced and then drew apart, "how many have you tried on so far?"

"Fourteen," Blair commented drily, smiling, "unfortunately," she cast a reproachful look towards the attendant, "there doesn't seem to be anything that's quite…me."

Serena crossed the room to the rack and walked the length of it, admiring each individual dress and then swivelled back on her heels to face Blair, "All of these dresses are you – isn't there one you like?"

"I like them all, I chose them," Blair clued up, "but I'm a soon-to-be Princess now S and simply wearing what I like won't cut it – I have to look gorgeous: I have to outshine even you. And finding something that would have done for me a year ago simply won't do." She emphasized to the attendant who disappeared, obviously on the hunt for more dresses. "So California with Cece was a blast this summer?"

Serena laughed, "It was…_interesting, _I actually did some screenwriting which was pretty fun – so how was Monaco, all champagne and polo matches right?"

Blair produced a fake laugh that Serena recognized immediately as the Waldorf façade – when feeling unhappy or downtrodden Blair would close down her emotions, shutting herself down and instead produce emotions that were both unconvincing and half-hearted. Blair moved to the rack and began perusing dresses and then turned back to Serena.

"Not exactly," she turned back to the dresses, "I spent two glorious weeks at the start of summer with Louis – then it emerged that I couldn't use a telephone because that wouldn't fit in with Princess Sophie's preparations for a Princess to be and then to add insult to injury Louis spent the whole of summer travelling around Europe making friends with Royals and the Social Elite while I was only allowed out of the Palace when Princess Sophie wanted me to be free."

Serena's face creased in puzzlement, "But I thought this was what you wanted? That was why you didn't choose Chuck?"

"This isn't about Chuck," she snapped quickly, "I'm just…I'm not happy with Louis anymore…I think the spark died…or it's dimming, he was supposed to come on this trip and we were supposed to make things up and fall madly in love again. But he isn't here and I feel like I'm drifting further apart from him – and turns out that once I find the dress I'm flying home one-way, I won't be able to come back." Blair said in a curiously understated manner for someone who loved and thrived on the Upper East Side – it had been her home, her kingdom and her playground all at once for her entire life, and now she was giving it up to be with someone it was rapidly becoming clear was not the right man for her.

"Well you can't go through with it," Serena declared forcefully, "Blair if you don't love him then it'd just fall apart six months down the line, even if your love isn't there you owe it to Louis to tell him how you feel now."

Blair shook her head vehemently, "It's too late – I accepted his marriage proposal, nobody's broken of a Royal Engagement since…since ever S," the attendant returned with a fresh rack of dresses and Blair glared at her, "I hope these are _my size_, this one is clearly too small." She declared as she circled the dresses, tracing each with her hand.

"They are the size that you requested Miss Waldorf," the attendant replied – it was the closest someone like that could come to shooting back at Blair – it was a thinly veiled insult but Blair picked up on it and merely fixed her with an icy glare.

Serena looked at her watch and frowned, "Look I have to get back to my Mom's to get ready for tonight but we'll talk okay? Tonight?" Blair nodded absent-mindedly as Serena left her alone with the dresses. She couldn't keep this charade up with Serena – people would start noticing soon enough and she would need Serena on side, not distracted by the insult of not being told as soon as Blair found out about her pregnancy. And then there was Chuck.

. . .

"That's…intense," Nate said as he sipped at his Scotch, around them Lily's party was buzzing with life as the good, the bad and the ugly of the Upper East Side gossiped, drank and danced the night away – all under Lily's imperious gaze – for all intents and purposes the nature balance had been restored to the City, "so I mean do you think she'd leave him?"

"I don't think it's as simple as that," Serena sighed, "she's got it into her head that she can't leave Louis and that it's better that she tries to make it work with him…I just think she's heading for a fall but…it's Blair…she doesn't really like relationship advice," she cut Nate off before he remarked back, "and I'm hardly the person to give it to her."

He nodded sipping at his drink as the elevator chimed and he spotted Chuck sweep into the room, had anyone seen Chuck a few days earlier they wouldn't have associated this refined, dashing gentlemen with a drug-abusing party animal that had been travelling South-East Asia for most of the summer dining on the delights that the Orient had to offer. Nate shuck hands and Serena pecked him on the cheek, she stifled a laugh as she thought about how mature they were – a few years ago they would never have greeted so formally…it was a testament of how far they'd come over the five years since Serena had returned to the City.

"You get your business done man?" Nate quizzed.

Chuck nodded, "The greater part, unfortunately I had to rearrange my last appointment so I wouldn't miss the start of the party," he scanned the Party – the Apartment was densely packed with people, finding someone would have been difficult at a normal soiree but this was after all no ordinary soiree and Lily had flown in nearly her entire phonebook, "you haven't seen Eric have you?"

Serena shook her head, "I think he was meeting someone first."

"Of course," Chuck said knowingly and Nate cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, he plucked a Scotch of a tray as a Waiter swept past him and sipped at it, "how was Blair?"

"She was jet-lagged and dealing with incompetent staff," she addressed icily as she swept into a room that Serena hadn't seen her try on at the store – naturally she look stunning, having paired the long dress with a simple clutch and having worn her hair up to appear every inch the sophisticated Royal-to-be, she kissed Chuck awkwardly on the cheek, accepted a kiss of Nate and a hug of Serena, "oh is that Penelope? I think it is – excuse me." She said, exiting quickly. Chuck watched her go and Serena clocked the look – Chuck was in love, or at least still harbouring designs on a future with Blair. The elevator chimed again drawing her attention and Serena grinned excitedly as Eric entered on the arm of a guy that impressed Serena, he was broad-shouldered, blonde, tanned and _gorgeous_. He wasn't exactly what she'd have expected considering Eric's relationship history, she walked over to meet Eric.

"So whose this?" she enthused.

Eric smirked, "This is Carlton Wessex, we met in the Hampton's," he introduced, Serena paused a moment – _Wessex_, she recalled the name from somewhere, Eric eyed up Chuck as he came forward, "Carlton this is my sister Serena and my step-brother-"

"-Chuck Bass," Chuck greeted, shaking Carlton's hand, "Eric could I borrow you for a couple of minutes?" Eric nodded certainly and followed Chuck off deeper into the throng of people, Carlton seemed to fade back into the crowd and Serena found herself alone with Nate again, she'd had the little voice of girlish excitement in the back of her head all day, talking about the possibilities of her getting back together with Nate, talking about her underlying feelings for him…talking about her lack of feelings for Dan. Though she had dated Dan first her feelings toward him had turned more into the brotherly kind than the boyfriend kind, with Nate there had always been chemistry – a spark, something that just made them click. Perhaps that was what her subconscious was bringing to the fore again, now that they were back in the City again, and single.

"Maybe we should go talk somewhere more private?" Nate suggested and Serena nodded in assent, following him to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her as they went, in Nate turned toward her and Serena could see from his face that he was just as nervous as she was – she didn't know why but she felt like a little girl again, waiting to see if the boy she liked would ask her out or if she was going to be left heartbroken. It sounded ridiculous considering her past but she was just as nervy – especially when it came to visiting to past relationships – as anyone else, she could just put on a confident front when she needed to or when she wanted to.

"Well…" she began uncertainly, "I like you…I really do Nate, I mean we're in the City and we're single and things have just…become clearer, there's always been something between us, and maybe it's just time that we accepted that – so it didn't workout first time around, we're older now and we've both matured a lot…I…I think we should start going out."

Nate didn't say anything but just moved closer to her and tilted his head a little, pressing his lips to hers before making the kiss more passionate as Serena engaged in the kiss, giving him back just as much passion as she felt flooding into her, and then she broke apart as an arc of light was cast into the room and she heard Jenny snigger and then back out of the room awkwardly. Jenny always had to ruin things when something good came along for her.

. . .

"Oh," she said, clutching her chest as she narrowly avoided walking into Eric, "you scared me!"

"You might be staying in my sister's room," Eric stated coldly, "and my Mom might have taken you back in Jenny, but as far as I'm concerned you still aren't a part of this family, and I don't even know why she invited you back to the City."

Jenny groaned, "Look I'm only back for this week and then I'm gone from everyone's lives again, my Dad and Lily just wanted us all together, I don't care if you don't accept me Eric, if you still think I have a vendetta against Serena and Blair and the others then you can carry on deluding yourself…I got rid of those feelings a long time ago, this City is poisonous and for a time it sucked me in…this world changed me Eric – it made me into a horrible person. I've moved past it, I'm on the outside now, looking in, and I can see just what a depraved mess this is."

Jenny went to move past him but Eric grabbed her by the arm, "What were you doing at that Publisher's this morning?" Jenny shook of his arm and ignored him striding away – she wasn't answerable to Eric and she didn't need to have his acid-tongued insults directed at her, he wasn't worth her time and he had clearly been fully absorbed by the world with delusions of grandeur, sooner or later he'd realize that he would have to live his life in the shadow of an elder sibling and he would come to the same conclusions she had – that the Upper East Side wasn't where he belonged, he was so much more than just another Nate or another Chuck.

He would realize, someday.

. . .

"I knew it was you," Blair snapped as she drew level with Georgina, steering her away from the young, impressionable daughters of some of the older women attending the Party – best to not let Georgina get her claws into them when they were young, "what the hell do you think you're doing here? You weren't invited, Serena hates you and I'm fairly sure that if Lily knew you were here she'd have you thrown out."

"You aren't the only one with connections Blair," Georgina declared boldly, making eye-contact with a waiter on the other side of the Apartment who winked back at her, "and how could I miss Lily's getting out Party?"

Blair glared at her, "You know Georgina before as Queen of the Upper East Side I could just enforce a blockade of you, but now that I'm about to marry a Prince I could probably have a lot worse done to you – so why don't you just go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under and take whatever stupid plan you had for tonight with you, the Van Der Woodsen's have been through enough." Georgina sniggered and then stifled it.

"Oh the Van Der Woodsen's are going to make trouble enough for themselves," Georgina grinned as she cast her head towards the elevator as an auburn-haired girl entered, and looked around a few times before blending into the crowd, "don't you just love sibling rivalry?" Blair had however lost attention as tones rang out across the room and everyone in the room under the age of twenty-five dipped their heads to their cell-phones.

. . .

_This just in – my biggest scoop of the year comes from one of my most frequent sources, our literary genius has a name – Jenny Humphrey – and her novel has set out to name and shame, _

_It was a risky gamble little J, but didn't anyone ever tell you, if you play with _

_Fire you're only going to get burned,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl._

. . .

Hope you liked Chapter 4,

Reviews appreciated and welcome,

Chapter 5 up soon,

Acrobat

X


	5. Chapter 5

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_That's right Upper East Siders, your Benedict Arnold is little Jenny Humphrey, and don't deny it Little J – extracts of your exposé are leaking all over the internet and delicious though your descriptions are, you didn't exactly hold back did you? Poor Little J, B was kind to offer you a cordial exile, but looks like some people just don't learn – hell hath no fury like a Waldorf scorned,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

It was like a bad scene from a low budget spy movie.

The glamorous heroine is seated on a chair with a glaring spotlight shining in her face as her captors assemble around her in a horseshoe, interrogating her with a mixture of water torture and brutal physical contact – alright it hadn't come to that yet but Jenny could tell from the charged atmosphere that Serena wasn't far off punching you, she was visibly seething with rage. Dan had glazed over – he was probably thinking how ashamed he was off his little sister, Nate seemed distant – it was a small mercy that Lily and Rufus had barred Chuck and Blair from sitting in on the little sit-down. The irony was that she hadn't even written the book, the only reason she'd been at the magazine was because she'd thought it would make her Dad and Lily happy, but even that had backfired. She laughed a little at her helplessness and immediately regretted it.

"Do you think this is funny Jenny?" Lily demanded, Jenny immediately stopped laughing, "You've slandered a lot people in this…," she paused as though the word pained her, "_exposé_ – just as this family was starting to clear itself from the mire and now we have," she paused and took a deep breath as though she was calming herself, "…we have a girl who clearly has no idea how New York Society operates that has caused this family untold embarrassment – do you know what it will cost to stop those books hitting the shelves?"

Rufus's head was down in shame; he lifted it up to look Jenny clearly in the eye.

"I invited you back because I thought you'd turned over a new leaf Jenny, but obviously you're still too immature – why did you do this? I mean did you not feel you had enough attention already after what you tried to do to Serena?" he demanded, his voice bordering on yelling – something that was a definite rarity where Rufus was concerned.

Jenny had bitten her lip long enough, "I didn't write the stupid book."

Serena gave her an incredulous look and then turned to her mother.

"Mom you don't believe her? She's just lying to try and get out of this – why were you at that magazine if you weren't taking a preliminary interview, Jenny there are extracts all over the internet – not just Gossip Girl about the things you said about me and Blair and Nate, things that only you would want to say Jenny." Her reasoning was sound enough, if lacking a few flaws though Jenny didn't wish to make the situation worse by acting smart.

She frowned, "I was…I was getting interviewed for a Fall Internship in a Styling Position…I thought if I took the job I could get some experience and spend some time with you guys to try and build bridges…I just wanted to make amends for things but obviously I was wrong: look I'm sorry for what the author of that book said but it isn't what I think and I don't need to put my feelings in a book to express them…I made my views clear a long time ago."

"Well…do you have proof?" Nate asked, being careful to hide any hint of sympathy – he could tell that Serena was on the edge and he didn't want to spark an argument between them, to his mind Jenny wouldn't have written the book, she didn't have an express wish to make Blair any angrier with her than she already was and besides her excuse about the internship seemed to be plausible.

"I have an email on my phone from the company confirming my internship, I got it a couple of hours ago," Jenny said, producing her phone and handing it over with the relevant email, it was handed around the room, "happy now?"

"You can go," Lily said without a hint of remorse, Jenny complied leaving the others in the bedroom, "well somebody will have to email them and tell them that Jenny isn't the author."

"Well then who is Mom?" Serena prodded, "Because honestly I can't think of anyone that has the same credentials as Jenny and has the same attitude towards us, but if you want to believe her fine but I can't listen to this anymore." She said, strutting out of the room avoiding eye contact with any of them – though she hated to admit it Jenny's story possessed credibility and unfortunately it was more than likely that she hadn't written the exposé.

. . .

"I didn't realize she had it in her," Blair said through pursed lips, sipping tentatively at her champagne as though she was full of so much anger she might crush the glass in her hand, "clearly I misjudged her, Little J has more fight in her than I gave her credit for."

"She doesn't," Georgina replied bluntly, "and I think we both know she wouldn't be able to pull of something like this, she doesn't have the contacts nor does she have the nerve – this was all that she dreamt of a few years ago," she said casting her eyes across the lavish Party, "she won't have anything negative to bring back from them, she was too glazed over with admiration for _you_." Georgina turned and grinned even more broadly as she spotted Serena, strutting across the room in her typical understated fashion looking delightedly vexed – presumably about Jenny, it would be more delightful only if Georgina could show her some of the descriptions drifting around Gossip Girl: but she could wait. She had bigger plans in store for Serena, much bigger plans.

"What are you doing here?" Serena demanded. "Actually, you know what just go Georgina – I've had enough drama for one night without you and your…baggage…" she trailed off as she spotted the auburn haired girl crossing the room toward them, Charlie looked heavenly in her one-shoulder white dress, complemented by a pair of simple slacks, she held her clutch close to her side awkwardly as she surveyed the scene – she was still very much the outsider, as Dan had once been, but she was somehow more hardened.

"Hey Serena…sorry I didn't call or anything but Georgina just emailed me out of the blue and I…I thought I'd better come see how your Mom was…and you were," she frowned, evidently embarrassed, "I'm sorry I didn't call over summer but my Mom's…been pretty strict about communicating with people."

"Not at all," Serena glossed over warmly, "maybe we should go get a drink and have a talk?" Charlie nodded affirmatively and the two girls move off leaving Blair alone with Georgina, Blair sipped her champagne and then coldly surveyed Georgina. She was not full of her usual brash confidence, that aura of invincibility that she found so repugnant, especially in an enemy that she had vanquished so many times over that it was almost laughable.

However this was something new, Georgina appeared – and appeared was the word since there wasn't a hint of honesty or sincerity to the action – to have done something perfectly nice, and that was simply not in her nature, Blair folded her arms and surveyed her, her body language gave nothing away – a clear sign of someone with something to hide. When you live on the Upper East Side you are conditioned to not give away anything with your appearance – secrecy is the key in a microcosm of society where knowledge is power and knowledge is only procured under duress – and Georgina was exhibiting classic signs of someone keeping themselves under control.

Of course Blair tweaked that that was the desired effect, Georgina was in fact already three or four steps ahead of Blair's deductive skills – an unfavourable state of affairs but not unforeseeable, she had spent the summer in the City while Blair had stated it in near-exile in Monaco, Georgina was on the home-field and she clearly had something big, and that was why she had initiated a seemingly nice act – the precursor to a major fall.

"Well played Sparks, although you should remember that I'm always watching," Blair murmured, intimidation etched in her voice, but Georgina merely sniggered, "I think it's time for you to go." Blair watched her leave and then immersed herself in the Party, she spotted Chuck and froze praying to a greater celestial entity that he wouldn't look her way – fate however was a _bitch_. Chuck turned around and strolled towards her, his face full of urgency but his eyes betraying a little twinkle of excitement – Bass was on the scent of a scandal, she hadn't seen that keenness in his eye since their High School days.

"What are you up to Bass?" she enquired, she needed something to entertain herself, other than draining Lily's stock of vintage champagne.

He grinned devilishly, "Nothing that concerns you, have you seen Eric?"

"Yeah I think he's in his room with that boy he brought with him," Chuck turned to leave but she placed a hand on his arm and spun him around, "Chuck why do I remember the name Wessex? And why do I associate it with you and Bart?" Chuck simply grinned, shook of her grip and turned on his heel, heading in the direction of the bedroom, Blair decided against following: when a Bass goes to a bedroom it generally isn't a pretty picture.

. . .

_So it wasn't Little J after all? How depressing. But don't worry Upper East Siders, in stormy seas a ship may seek respite in port, and looks like the good ship exposé is facing a hurricane – the release has been delayed twenty-four hours which means a day to find the mole, the ball's in your court now,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Chuck walked promptly out of the elevator, crossing the reception area directly to the desk and looking down at the secretary,_ inadvertently_ seeing down her cleavage and lifting her head from whatever spreadsheet or email was distracting her on her computer, bringing her eyes to his and her attention to rest firmly upon what he had to say. She smiled awkwardly – naturally she knew who he was, but the awkwardness stemmed from the person he was visiting.

"I would love it if I could see Mr Wessex, for just five minutes of his time?" Chuck prompted.

The woman frowned as she scanned the diary, she lifted the phone to her air and then covered the receiver, "Why do you need to see him?"

"It's a private matter," Chuck said, lifting the brown envelope onto the desk, she nodded and quietly whispered into the phone that Chuck wished to see him, she put it down and with a gesture of arm indicated he should go through, he moved to the office, pushing apart the opaque doors and entering the office, rain was just beginning to spit at the windows of the penthouse office, dribbling down and creating a pattern on the window. Wessex was stood looking out towards the city and turned around smiling, not that it was a gesture of warmth – it was a gesture of warning, like a lion bearing its teeth as a warning of imminent attack.

"Mr Bass," Wessex greeted, crossing the room and shaking hands with him, "you're honestly the last person I'd have expected, don't you have a project in Brooklyn to take your attention?" Chuck smiled politely as he crossed the room and seated himself in front of Wessex's desk and placed the brown envelope simply onto the desk, Wessex – intrigued, took his seat behind the desk and went to open the envelope but Chuck motioned him to stop.

"It's public knowledge that Wessex Hotels are on the verge of bankruptcy _Elliot_," he said, using first names, "you've been missing your payments on all but a few and the only reason you're still afloat is your South-East Asian hotels, which if Interpol ever investigating them would be shut down for gratuitous drug use and abundant prostitution." Wessex raised an eyebrow – intrigued as to what Bass had brought, Bass pushed forward the envelope and Wessex opened it, his jaw dropping slightly but then reasserting its position.

"He's supposed to be marrying Rebecca Tate isn't he? Were you planning on using the Oil Money to resurrect your flagging Hotel business?" Chuck scoffed venomously – he was turning on his sadistic side now, "Since you don't want this marriage to fall apart and for Rebecca to find out that her husband has been making out with the most notorious It Girl in New York Society History's brother then I make you an offer," Chuck grinned, producing a slip of paper handing it over to him, "you sell me these 17 Hotels at below market price – and your Hotel Business remains largely intact and you get your money to recover, I assume these terms are acceptable?"

"How did you get these photos?" Wessex demanded, slamming his fist on the desk so forcefully that it actually shook, he masked the wince of pain that Chuck knew he was feeling inside.

"Because Eric Van Der Woodsen is my step-brother, you should tell Carlton to be more careful in the Hampton's, next time he might not be so lucky." Chuck rose and left Elliot Wessex fuming in his wake, in one fell swoop he had massively increased the reach of the Empire Brand overseas, he had a hotel in every continent and he had single-handedly taken every single Hotel of any value left in Wessex's hand, what difference did having a Hotel in Lisbon make if you had ones in Madrid or Barcelona? What difference did having a Hotel in Quito make if the only really profitable city in South America was Rio de Janeiro? Chuck allowed himself a rare accomplished grin, he had succeeded in something that his father had only dreamed off, taking out a competitor in the Hotelier industry in one action. He checked his phone and the smile was wiped from his face.

I NEED TO SEE YOU, B X. The text included directions to her dress fitter's, it was somewhere suitably low key that it would avoid any unwanted media attention, Chuck frowned, he couldn't go and see her – he shouldn't, because seeing her and actually talking to her would make things worse, for both of them. Last night had been evidence enough that a spark lingered between them and that they both still held feelings for one another, otherwise things wouldn't have been so awkward.

. . .

"Taking a stroll," a voice purred behind him, "or a walk to try and clear a guilty conscience?" Dan swivelled round and almost walked straight into Georgina, dressed for the summer weather in a minidress, a pair of ankle-boots and the typical enormous sunglasses of the Upper East Side, she grinned at him showing her perfect white smile.

"What do you want Georgina?" Dan snapped, allowing a momentary break in his aura of calmness, he was trying to use that to disguise his worry, but that worry was causing other emotions to come to the fore, such as his anger which he'd just exerted on Georgina, he shouldn't have shown how he was really feeling to her off all people – but her words had him worried, she clearly knew something or more correctly, though she knew something.

She lowered her sunglasses, "Just some answers." She settled onto a bench and patted for Dan to join her, looking out across the pond, she looked at him, "Like why you wrote an exposé about your time on the Upper East Side and then decided to publish it, I mean I knew you were so pathetically desperate to launch your career that you'd do anything but I never thought you'd screw over Serena…and Nate, and well, just about everyone on the Upper East Side to do it – was it the money? Or the infamy?"

"Neither," he snapped again, "look I don't know what you think you know Georgina but I have nothing to do with that exposé and I have no idea who wrote it."

"Really? You looked pretty guilty for letting Jenny take the wrap last night," she murmured playfully, Dan's growing anger was confirmation enough, "I mean that is low, even by my standards, letting your kid sister take the fall for the biggest scandal of recent years, then again I suppose it'd be easier that way, she is already exiled and she has the motive. Only snag being she didn't have a relationship with Serena, and I mean how long can it be till Gossip Girl get's a hold of an excerpt about your relationship with her? Or your opinions on Chuck Bass, you really were naïve weren't you – I thought S trained you better."

Dan swore under his breath, Georgina had sussed him and he was caught red-handed, he might at least point out the truth, "Vanessa published it," Georgina let out a delighted, shrill laugh, Dan glared at her, "_against_ my wishes, she's trying to tell herself she did it because she has my best interests at heart but the reality is all she cares about is making my life hell and making sure that any friendships I have are ruined because the Upper East Side closed itself off to her a long time ago…so now she's trying to take me down with her or something…"

"How tragic," Georgina said without a hint of sympathy, in fact she sounded positively jubilant about the fact, "that Vanessa is the one behind this, you realize none of them will ever talk to you once this comes out?"

"It had crossed my mind." He replied sarcastically. Georgina stood up from the bench and put on her sunglasses, Dan looked at her, "You aren't gonna tell anyone are you?"

"Why bother?" she laughed again, "In a few hours Dan it will be all over Gossip Girl and Serena and her little clique will be reeling from the shock, and then I can really get to work, in fact you've given me the perfect opportunity to take them down," Dan rose to speak but she motioned him to silence, "and you'll be completely discredited by this – Dan you've helped me get to a point where I can do something that I've never been able to do on my own, take down S and B." She turned around and strutted away from him, grinning broadly.

. . .

Serena sipped at her coffee as she looked out the window at the traffic moving sluggishly by and then jumped to her feet as she spotted Charlie and almost ran to meet her at the door, hugging her tightly in an embrace and grinning down at her slightly shorter cousin, she went to her side of the table after a suitable length of hug and sat down, sipping at her drink as Charlie ordered a cappuccino, taking of her cardigan and relaxing before leaning forward excitedly.

"I'm so glad to be back!" she said ecstatically.

"I'm so glad you're back," Serena replied truthfully, she'd been worried about Charlie not being able to talk to her all summer, but her being back obviously meant that she was better now, "how was summer in Florida? Was Carol really harsh? I didn't hear anything from you the whole time I was in California."

Charlie nodded laughing a little, "Yeah mom was pretty…strict about my access to phones and the computer…she just thought it'd be pretty impressionable, but I got a letter out of the blue that your Mom was having the Party and I knew that I had to come, then I realized it was time that I took control of my life from my mom."

"What did you do?" Serena prodded quizzically.

"I decided to transfer to Colombia, looks like I'll be seeing you a lot more," Serena gaped a little bit for grinning widely, "I just decided I needed a change of scene from Florida and New York is such a great city, Colombia's such a great school…and I just decided it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up on, to spend time here in New York, where everything happens."

. . .

_When look back on our memories we often have the urge to revisit them, and often to look back on them in close detail. Word is Chuck Bass's limo is taking him on a trip down memory lane, one guess as to who's waiting at the end,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 5,

Reviews welcome and appreciated,

Acrobat x 


	6. Chapter 6

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. _

. . .

HISTORY REPEATING?

_We only prosper by learning from our mistakes, and looks like S finally learned her lesson, my hot spot places her and N at the same elite bar, bon appétit S,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Serena rose a little too excitedly and a little too early, regretting doing so as she waited awkwardly for Nate to draw even, pecking him on the cheek, unsure despite their frank conversation where they stood, revelation about Jenny had left Serena's mind muddled. She hadn't liked Jenny in the first place but she had been wrong to just leap up on her the instant Gossip Girl announced she was the author – she was a case point that what you here is not necessarily true. She reached across the table to touch at his hand and he cupped hers, stroking it reassuringly and she eased back into her seat, ordering herself water with Nate copying.

"So," he said, failing to capitalize on his attempt at conversation and then laughing at himself, "I didn't realize we still couldn't make conversation to fill awkward silences…"

"Sorry," Serena laughed too, "it's just…last night is playing on my mind, was I horrible for instantly jumping to the conclusion that it was Jenny and believing Gossip Girl?" Nate didn't reply for a moment and Serena frowned, "Damn it I was horrible! I shouldn't have done that…people used to do it to me all the time and sometimes they still do…and it makes me so…mad," she caught sight of Nate's expression, "sorry I'm not making any sense am I?"

"No," he said leaning across the table and looking into her eyes, "but it's cute, and for the record you aren't wrong for doubting Jenny…she hasn't exactly been the most trustworthy person in your life, was that Charlie that I saw last night?"

Serena nodded, sipping at her water, "Yeah she said Georgina told her – not that I trust that Georgina did this innocently but regardless it's nice to have her back, I mean Charlie was a breath of fresh air till she went all crazy on us, maybe this time it can be different?"

"Yeah between her and Jenny we kinda…left things undecided, I never gave you my answer," he raised an eyebrow suggestively and Serena leaned forward excitedly stroking his hand, "do you remember when we were going out and living together with Blair and Chuck and their…drama?"

"Of course, I have some really good memories from then," she enthused, dwelling on the gems she would keep with her for her entire life, "I mean living with them wasn't exactly easy and things always seemed…weird us four living together but I kinda enjoyed it too."

"I did but like you say it was weird, this time we can take things slow like you said and I think it'll be better without them ," Nate revealed, Chuck was his best friend but his and Blair's twisted games and constant scheming had marred and strain Nate's own relationship with Serena, true their relationship had prospered but it hadn't been given the space it needed to develop and grow naturally, in stead things had been accelerated by a kind of animalistic desire to be the best couple, it wasn't the right place for a romance, "means I get you all to my self." He said in a sickeningly sweet voice that made her giggle, Nate was protective but he wasn't possessive – he blended together attractive traits with natural wit and beauty, Serena leaned across and pecked him tentatively on the lips before leaning into the kiss more, cupping his face slightly and then drawing back, both of them laughing at their momentary descent into youthful romance.

"That was nice," she said of the kiss, turning back to her water, "but then again we did say we wanted to take things slow and French kissing in a bar? Not exactly a recipe for traditional courtship." Nate laughed and looked at his phone and his face creased in confusion.

"Am I imagining it or don't you have your screenwriting interview in like half an hour?" Serena shook her head – it was only eleven and then she scanned her phone and realized she'd been waiting a little too long – it was twelve, she frowned.

"I'm sorry I need to go," she pecked him once more on the lips as she sprang to her feet grabbing her bag, "I'll call you once I'm done kay?" Nate nodded and Serena sprinted out of the Bar, hailing a cab and disappearing into the streets, her mind full of romantic thoughts and completely unprepared for an interview for a killer internship for the Fall.

. . .

It was a Disney Movie, she – the dazzling Princess – was being fitted for her gorgeous wedding dress, there would be a long train and there would be lace and despite her veil it would be her face and hers alone that everyone focused upon in the Church. She would walk down the aisle to the fanfare and stand beside her husband and allow him to reveal her face to the world and then…and then she was stood next to the evil Sorcerer, dressed in black…and yet somehow, that felt more right than if she had been marrying Prince Charming.

"Delightful," Chuck declared from the edge of room and Blair turned around, snapping out of her day dream, "exquisite actually." He remarked, admiring the dress, he had never seen Blair look so beautiful before, it made him think back to his decision that night – his fateful decision, had he been right to put her with Louis, he could make her jubilant – Chuck had known that from the beginning, it had merely been a question of whether Blair was searching for that kind of romantic bliss, that kind of traditional courtship followed by lengthy conservative marriage. Somehow despite how strictly Blair paid attention to her appearance and her presentation he had long harboured doubts about whether being married and having children was really what Blair wanted to desire – or whether she wanted instability, whether she wanted impulsiveness, whether should we be better suited in short to a life with someone like him. But that question would have to remain unanswered, she was engaged and she was going to marry and he wasn't going to screw this up for her.

"You came," Blair said, Chuck was almost certain he saw her blush slightly like a school girl greeting her long-time crush, "I…I wasn't sure whether you would."

Chuck laughed, "How could you not know?" Blair turned away from him toward the mirror and stroked at her chest, admiring her form once more, Chuck moved to her side and looked at her through the mirror, "Whatever happens you know I'm always going to be here for you, everyone here will always be here for you whatever happens." Blair laughed a little at that, and then she felt a single tear forming in her eye and then trickling down her face and then plummeting to the floor, creating a small puddle on the floor. "Hey what's the matter?" Chuck probed and Blair turned to him, holding her composure, only occasionally allowing a tear through.

"Leaving New York…it's going to break my heart," she looked back at the mirror, "do you remember that saying you never know what you have until it's taken away from you?" Chuck gave her a confused look and she gave another hopeless laugh, "Louis said that once I come back with the dress I have to stay in Monaco, until the Wedding…and then afterwards I guess I'll just do what I'm told…despite my highs and lows…despite arguing with you, and Nate, and Serena and even Dan I never though I'd actually have to leave you guys…and now I'm going to lose you all.

"I wish I could believe that we'll visit and that we'll talk but it'll never be the same, I'll never just be able to go for lunch with Serena or meet you for drinks or go to Polo with Nate…I'll never spend summer in the Hampton's…I'm going to give up everything for _him_," she sniffled and then cut off her tears instantly, brutally; it was too painful to let them keep going, "and sometimes I just wonder whether its worth it Chuck…"

Chuck's mouth curled down grimly, "Don't doubt yourself – your Blair Waldorf, the Courtiers might have the home field advantage sure but you've dominated every arena you've ever been thrown into, whether it was Constance and putting down Penelope or Jenny, or whether it was NYU and asserting your right to be Queen there, Blair your just giving up trappings you aren't throwing away your life, your opening doors to a whole new world.

"So you won't be able to see Serena or me or Nate at your discretion, we can fly out to Monaco and meet you for lunch once you've cleared it with the Princess or with Louis," Chuck reassured sincerely, "and you can always leave Blair, no matter how you feel the door is always there and you know that if you needed it I could have a plane there within hours. Louis is a good guy, and once you're married things will be different, but that doesn't mean that they have to change."

Blair shook her head and allowed herself to cry once more.

"Chuck things _are_ going to change once we're married…I found something out at the start of summer right before I left…and I thought things would be fine and I'd tell Louis once we landed," she admitted truthfully – had the circumstances been right she'd have confronted him on the flight, "but then he was away and I haven't seen him all summer…and Princess Sophie wanted me to ingratiate myself with the Courtiers…and…Chuck…Chuck I'm pregnant – three months." She turned toward him and leaned forward, planting a kiss on him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders but feeling him pull away and stiffen vertically.

"You shouldn't have done that…I shouldn't have come here." He turned on his heels and left as she looked after him, feeling her walls brake down and slumping onto the floor, sobbing and allowing tears to cascade down her face. She had lost everything now, Chuck didn't want her back and now he knew her secret.

. . .

_Spotted – Chuck Bass leaving a boutique designer and looking a little sad, why the tears Bass? Lovers tiff with B?_

. . .

"I'm glad you came," Lily said, placing the teapot on the coffee table and pouring herself a cup, she leaned back and drank from it deeply, "I had a rather interesting call from a member of the Board of Bass Industries, Charles are you buying 17 Hotels? I thought you said that you were keeping your idea limited to an acquisition in South East Asia."

"Plans change," Chuck deflected swiftly, "needless to say I thought I could take the Empire brand global, London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo and Sydney – these Hotels will give us the ability to access markets we wouldn't have reached previously, that we couldn't have reached previously. I believe the Empire has a global potential and the only way to see that realized is to roll it out on a global scale, I didn't say any reason to hold off or do things slowly."

"Of course," Lily smiled encouragingly, sipping her tea, "I just wondered how you convinced Elliot Wessex to sell him his most profitable hotels when his business is on the verge of bankruptcy as it is – either you offered him something he couldn't refuse or more likely I suspect your blackmailing him. Would you care to elaborate?"

Chuck leaned back, he had expected Lily to deduce that something was amiss about the transaction but he had perhaps hoped it could wait a few days, his issues with Blair were not helping clear his judgement and the exposé cloud hovering above their heads was making everything that much gloomier, he needed the transaction closed though he suspected Lily would have used her remaining contacts on the Board to block any transaction, until such a time as she wanted it to go through: Chuck might have been heading up the company but Lily maintained a certain influence which she exerted as she pleased. The elevator chimed and Eric entered and Lily clocked him, surveying her son.

"Eric would you come here a moment please," Eric reluctantly crossed the room and seated himself beside Chuck, "who was that boy that you brought to my Party last night?"

"Carlton Wessex," Eric replied automatically and then frowned after receiving a grown from Chuck, "…we met in the Hampton's…is something wrong?"

"Not at all, I just discovered your step-brother used you to blackmail Elliot Wessex into selling 17 Hotels to him," Lily replied acidly, "Charles how could you do something like this – it's wrong on so many levels."

"I hate to point this out Lily but you can hardly preach about ethics – I may have been underhanded but I didn't manipulate Eric he did this willingly," Chuck said, Lily's jaw wavered but didn't drop and Chuck rose, "this has been…invigorating but I have a transaction to complete, I'll drop by tomorrow once things have gone through." Chuck rose on his heels and turned leaving the two Van Der Woodsen's alone, Eric had provided a neat diversion to skip out on Lily and now Chuck had the simple task of rooting out the loyalists in the Board and removing them: he had every faith in her and every respect for her but Lily's interference was becoming all too frequent. He needed to stand on his own two feet and with her spectre scrutinizing all he did he would never have that freedom.

"So do I want to know why you'd help Charles blackmail someone?" Lily probed, "Let me guess you're acting out like Jenny?"

"Not exactly," Eric replied in a strained voice, "but yes I thought it would be fun, you never listen Mom, it's been years now and you've always wanted me to go to College, and maybe that is what you want and what I should do, but it isn't what I _want_ to do, I can't keep quiet anymore…every time I try to raise the subject you change it or avoid the question. I want to work with Chuck on his Hotels Mom…that's why I helped, he said it'd be okay and I could start soon…I just don't think College is for me. It isn't right."

Lily shook her head, demonstrating that she wouldn't even here of Eric not going, "You are very naïve if you think helping blackmail someone will help you get into Business and I will not have you working in Bass Industries or with Charles for that matter, if you want to work then get an internship, if you want more freedom defer a year and spend it working but you are going to College Eric. You might not understand this now but I have your best interests at heart, it might be a week or six months or a year but someday you'll realize you want to go to College and it will be too late if you insist on waiting around to consider your options."

"But that's just it, you have what you think are my best interests at heart Mom, I get that you lost your control over Serena so you have that much more of a desire to take control over me and my life but you can't manipulate me anymore." Eric stood up and walked off to his room, dejected but feeling a mild inward rumbling of joy, he had finally taken a stand against Lily.

. . .

Serena sat awkwardly as the interviewer reviewed her résumé; she wasn't used to being scrutinized so thoroughly but had half expected that her one writing credit didn't give her much of a competitive edge over the others competing for the post. The interviewer – a man in his late fifties with badly died brunette hair and a shirt that was barely containing his stomach as it bulged out between the buttons looked up and placed the résumé on the ground.

"You aren't exactly our normal type Miss Van Der Woodsen," he started and Serena felt her heart sink, "but your writing on _The Beautiful and Damned_ was superb, you seem to have the correct attitude for the position and academically speaking though your past is somewhat…marred you seem to have a great enthusiasm for screenwriting, I'm so glad we got given a copy." Serena grinned enthusiastically, bobbing her head at the right moments in order to convey her positive warmth. "Do you foresee the bicoastal aspect being an issue?"

Serena shook her head, "As long as I'm in the City for my classes and only really focusing on screenwriting during the holidays or at the weekend I think it should all be okay…I can work around it I'm sure, and with regards to California I have family out there so it should be cool for me to just stay there when I'm out there."

"Ah yes," the interviewer said knowingly, "in fact it was your grandmother that alerted us to you in the first place, Celia has long been a patron of our Agency, it only seems right than we can pay her back with offering her talented granddaughter a position with us."

And in that moment Serena's happiness shattered, broke into shards, tumbled down and fell in a heap in the pit of her stomach. She felt herself rising on autopilot and turning, ignoring the protests of her interviewer and storming down the stairs through the reception area and out of the building – Cece had organized everything and as usual Serena had walked into a family-trap. She should have seen this coming, Cece had been far too accepting of her leaving California in the first place. Serena was so focused on her inner thoughts that she walked straight into the girl and then realized in the blink of an eye that it was Charlie.

"Hey," Charlie looked over Serena, "you look a little…stressed? Do you wanna go get some coffee or something?" Serena nodded vehemently, she needed a latte and someone to vent to, and Charlie was very understanding when it came to issues like these.

. . .

"But isn't there any way you could-"

"-no Mr Humphrey I'm afraid there isn't," interjected the woman, acid-tongued and one of the corporate types that Dan couldn't stand who looked down and sneered at everyone imperiously as though they had just been born in that mould, "but thank you for your time and giving us a name to put to the novel, the second edition can run with your name. Vanessa sold us the rights to the book, once she did that the decision was out of yours and her hands, I'm sorry Mr Humphrey but I'm going to have to tell you to leave."

Dan turned out of the room, crushed emotionally and physically. His life was falling apart, he went down the steps and hailed a cab, reflecting that there was no point in walking home he would only be ambling toward an impending disaster, he might as well speed up the process. He ducked inside the cab and breathed a sigh of dissatisfaction; he had about ten hours left before his life fell apart.

. . .

_I never was very good at math but here's an equation, lonely boy + publisher's office + unprecedented access to Manhattan's elite, we have our anonymous and we have to give credit to lonely boy, we didn't think he had the guts, _

_Xoxo Gossip Girl _

…

Hope you liked Chapter 6,

7 up soon,

Reviews welcome and appreciated,

Acrobat

X


	7. Chapter 7

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite._

. . .

HUMPHREY IN BLUNDERLAND

_Some authors are famed for their questionable pastimes, others for their original ideas; although in Lonely Boy's case we think it'll be his audacity that goes down in the history books. Who would have predicted the boy blunder might actually pull of something worth remembering when he first came onto our social radars as S's new arm-candy? We didn't think you had the balls Lonely Boy,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl _

. . .

"Hey Serena if you could just-"

. . .

"-Nate this is like the fifth time I've called-"

. . .

"-Blair…Blair look I know that we were kinda…undecided when you left and I respected that but please, you have to know I wouldn't do this."

. . .

Georgina looked out across the lake toward the towering glass-steel monoliths of the Upper East Side, reflecting upon the fond memories of her time there and upon her ever-growing desire to return to the glittering lights of the Upper East Side and to the realm of exclusive, luxurious parties that she so longed for after her extensive imposed exile beyond Manhattan. She took off her sunglasses to survey the city; she knew very well it was in disarray. The first copies of Dan's novel had begun shipping out and it was receiving rave reviews for its portrayal of the Upper East Side, from everyone except the denizens of the Upper East Side themselves. Serena was probably in tears at the betrayal, Nate brooding over how he ever allowed someone like Dan into his confidence and Georgina suspected even Blair was feeling something between annoyed that she had underestimated Dan and devastated that she had started falling for him – for all her bluster about the Prince Georgina knew when Blair was infatuated with someone and Gossip Girl had filled in the blanks for her to form the opinion that Blair harboured or more accurately had harboured feelings for Dan.

"How was Serena?" she quizzed as Ivy came up beside her, following her gaze across the crystal clear, still lake toward the City.

"She left part way through," Ivy confided, "I think she was pretty shaken up about the exposé…anyway I don't know if I can keep going with this plan Georgina…Serena is asking questions that I can't answer…at one point she almost caught me out…I'm out of my depth, this was supposed to be a onetime job and then I'd never have to come back to this City, I'm not even sure why I did."

"Because you're a con-artist," Georgina turned to her grinning, a shade of menace to her voice, "you love the thrill of the façade, you live of the adrenaline of trying to dupe people into believing you are someone you aren't, and besides there's money involved – I find that tends to motivate people to do things they wouldn't ordinarily, money is power."

Ivy frowned, "Your right I normally like the rush of the act but that's when I'm in control of the situation, Georgina unless you tell me what it is you have planned I don't know if I can go forward, if I got left alone with Lily I'm sure she'd figure it out – Serena almost figured I did when she was talking about her Grandma."

"Cece?" Georgina pressed, sounding suddenly more interested.

Ivy didn't pick up on it, gazing towards the distant lights of the skyscrapers.

"Yeah she manipulated it so that Serena would get some job opportunity so she'd go and visit her more," Ivy said disinterestedly, "look either you tell me what it is you have planned beyond me getting into their confidence again or I walk Georgina, I'm serious."

"Just stay calm," Georgina said, more forcefully and she watched as Ivy tried to remain strong and then wavered – she was ultimately a weak individual, open to manipulation, "if you keep playing your cards right you'll win your way to a fortune – but if your poker face cracks, for even a moment then we'll lose everything." Of course Georgina didn't actually plan to sure any of the reward of the act with Ivy, Ivy was to be collateral damage, she had to be if Georgina's plan was to come off like a hitch, fortunately she seemed to have quelled Ivy because she was calmed now and defeated – malleable once more.

Ivy frowned deeply, "Look I'll get going, text me what you want me to do okay."

"I'll be in touch." Georgina reassured hauntingly as Ivy strode away. Georgina Sparks was back; for good and no-one was going to stop her meteoric rise to the top again.

. . .

Serena stirred and looked lovingly into the deep blue of Nate's eyes, he'd clearly been awake watching her a while, she stroked at his chest playfully and then looked back at the ceiling. She rolled over to answer her angrily vibrating phone and looked through it, six Gossip Girl blasts – no doubt more to do with Dan's book. It wasn't that she was upset about what he had said in the novel about her or friends, it was the fact that he'd acted as though they were friends and on the same wavelength for so long without even giving her an inkling that he clearly disliked her and hated everything that her world consisted of.

"I wouldn't read into those too much." Nate warned a tinge of annoyance to his voice.

"Sorry," Serena apologized, "I just…I feel betrayed – don't you?"

"Not really," he disagreed vehemently, "look Dan's…he's a lot of things but I doubt he'd intentionally destroy his life…so he wrote some things when he was angry, so he didn't always feel like he was welcome in our world, what did you expect? Chuck's been openly hostile to him ever since you two started dating, more so after Bart's death, Blair might have cooled her dislike toward him but she would never have called him a friend."

Serena nodded comprehendingly, "But I mean I've always seen him at family things and you two always hung out right?"

"Not recently," Nate admitted honestly, he was the first to admit perhaps he hadn't prioritized his friendship with Dan in recent months, "I mean when was the last time you went for coffee with him like you used to do when we were in High School? I can't even remember the last time we went running together or met and chatted normally…I've been too focused on Raina and on Chuck…and I should have paid attention to him."

"Then why didn't he say anything if he felt that way?" Serena demanded, she felt close to Dan but she didn't understand what would have kept him silent if he felt that way, it didn't make sense for someone to just write about it all in a book and then one day decide to publish it all, unless it was designed to be some kind of statement against them or a wake up call. Nate rolled his eyes, "No seriously Nate, I mean come on if Dan really felt that way then he would have said something."

"Did you ever consider that maybe he never meant for that book to be published Serena," Nate paused to allow the idea to sink in, "Dan wouldn't do something like this, a year or two ago maybe but not now, sure we've allowed him to drift away from us and maybe that's justification enough but honestly, I think there's something else going on here."

"Like what," Serena prodded inquisitively, "you think there's someone else behind this?"

"I'm saying…I don't know what I'm saying…I'm just saying even if Dan did feel distanced from us he wouldn't wreck his life on the Upper East Side by doing something like this, I mean that book has basically exposed a scandal about anyone whose anyone – no-one in their right mind makes so many enemies in one movement." Nate said slowly and calmly, allowing the sense of it to permeate Serena until she finally became consumed by the idea that what Nate was saying made sense. Why would Dan shoot himself in the foot? If anything he'd have written a flattering book to ensure he ingratiated himself better with the crowd.

"So what do you think we should do – should we go find him?" Serena enquired.

Nate cocked an eyebrow, "I thought you said you were gonna go speak to Blair about Cece and your interview…look you deal with your issues, I'll look for Dan okay?"

"Okay," Serena said and sprang to her feet crossing the bedroom before turning around to her half-naked boyfriend, "did you want to…?"

Nate simply grinned and patted the bed beside him and Serena launched herself onto it, rolling onto her back as Nate rolled on top of her, kissing her passionately and stroking down her lithe body, touching at it lovingly as Serena giggled rapturously.

. . .

Dan had not been afraid of answering the door, he had simply been pensive – he wasn't actively scared by the thought of squaring up to people in the street about having written the book, because he had never meant to publish it – Vanessa had however seen to that – he just had to grow a pair and stand up for himself. Of course as he teetered at the doorway between answering the door and hiding that became a much harder reality to effect. He tentatively reached out for the door handle and turned it – it was one of those rare occasions when he had actually locked the door in order to shut the world out, however he briefed a slight sigh of relief on recognition of Eric, lifting his head slightly to look at Dan with an awkward smile across his face. He moved past Dan without waiting for an invitation and Dan went to say something but found Eric cutting him off.

"I know you didn't mean for that exposé to be released," he said curtly, "unless I misjudged you?"

"No," Dan replied swiftly, "it was…Vanessa…I'm kinda confused as to whether she was trying to spite me by doing it or whether it was her twisted way of trying to launch my literary career but…yeah Vanessa gave it to the publisher and they ran it, I never meant for any of the things I said in there to be published…I mean that isn't even how I view any of you anyway."

"Why write it down then?" Eric quizzed.

Dan shrugged, "You have to know it isn't easy for me to flip between worlds, you've always lived on the Upper East Side, I happened to be dating the most high-profile socialite in New York and just got thrown into that world, and that was fine because I was grounded, I knew where I belonged…but then Lily and Rufus got closer and I found myself closer to the middle ground, drifting between the Loft and this fantasy worlds of limos and champagne and…and I was uncomfortable, probably more so recently, so I let it out.

"Writing was my thing anyway so I just poured my energies into it, if I was having a bad day or I was at a low then I'd just add a new Chapter or paragraph, in hindsight the portrayals of Serena, Nate and the others wasn't fair…and I clearly held onto a little of my preconception about Upper East Siders in writing it," Dan frowned deeply, "and now they're never gonna speak to me again."

"You don't really believe that do you?" said Eric mock-scornfully as though it was the most ridiculous notion in history, "Look Serena might be hurt, Nate might be brooding but at the end of the day they're gonna believe you when you tell them you never meant for it to be published…as for Blair and Chuck you weren't exactly close to them so they shouldn't be a problem…with regard to cleaning up after yourself I'm not exactly sure what the best course of action is.

"For starters email Gossip Girl that Vanessa is the one that published the book," Eric handed over his phone to Dan, "and in regard to the content of the book…just let that one sit with me okay? You realize that even with the Gossip Girl post you're still gonna have a pretty rough ride for the next few days right?"

"Sure." Dan affirmed grimly.

"You're gonna need friends Dan, text Serena," he suggested, "and…there's something else I have to apologize for, I was the one that text Gossip Girl about Jenny – the night of my mom's parole party…I guess we just haven't buried our issues with each other so I sent the blast, I guess if I'd known you were the writer I wouldn't have put you in such an awkward position."

"No worries…and thank you." Dan said, Eric nodded and took back his phone leaving Dan alone in the Loft. Dan felt like he should have punched his fist in the air or yelled ecstatically but somehow he had a much more subdued sense of contentment; things would be difficult for a while, he might have some rough relations with the wider family of Upper East Siders but eventually things would improve and with the aid of Gossip Girl and Eric he had taken the first step toward redemption, now he just had to cross another bridge and this was much harder to cross. He had to face his friends and explain where he was coming from when he wrote the exposé and where he had found his interpretation of them if he had been acting as though they were best of friends.

He flicked open his phone as it started vibrating and answered it quickly.

"Dan Humphrey…hey Nate…sure I can meet you there in like a half hour? Alright see you then man." He flipped down the phone and built up his courage, opening the door and heading out into the City once more, he would cross the bridge, he had to.

. . .

_The decisions that define us are not those that we take sensibly, but those that are taken for us – and looks like Lonely Boy lucked out when he missed the meeting about publishing his exposé. Unfortunately for us V isn't here to testify as she's sunning and studying in beautiful Barcelona, maybe B can make a stop off on her way home and give her our regards? _

. . .

While most of the City fretted about their tarnished reputations Blair had been relatively unaffected by the exposé, anything Dan had written about her had already been aired in public long ago, and she wasn't offended either, she understood quite well Dan would never have published the book, and even if he had written those things they had been the truth, they might have been from a different perspective than she would have liked but in a way Humphrey spoke for the majority. If she really was a manipulative bitch verging on sociopath – as one critic had interpreted Dan's portrayal of her – then so be it. It still couldn't save her from what was coming.

She could see it now every time that she traced her slight frame, every time she touched at it, ran her hands down her smooth chest, every time she relaxed for just a second, every time she failed to hold herself – it was a bump, it was not quite definite yet but it was _there._ That was the issue for her, the bump was here, no longer could she just ignore the fact that she was pregnant or that she was having a baby, she couldn't hide the fact from herself and sooner or later she would be unable to hide it from anyone else.

The truth was she was infuriated with herself, it had been the one night she hadn't taken her pill, the one night that she had stupidly presumed everything would be fine, and now she'd ruined everything, she was now in effect trapped within a proposed-marriage that she was quite sure had died a long time ago, where the love had gradually drained away until there was this kind of empty affection between the two of them – they exhibited the signs of lovers but they were not in love. At least that was how it appeared to Blair, she had been so in love with Louis at one point, but her extended exile at the Royal Court had done nothing to temper her growing resentment toward him, if anything it had exacerbated it. She did not dislike him but she didn't like him either, she was confused, and her return to New York had not helped.

"It's really beautiful Blair," Serena called from the elevator as she strolled into the Apartment, smiling from cheek-to-cheek with the kind of love only two bestfriends could share, "just thing, in a few months the whole world is going to know who you are and they're going to fall in love with you, just like we did."

Blair let out a shrill laugh – the statement didn't seem real, she still hadn't been fully exposed to the glare of the worldwide media; but her debut was not far away and that just brought things home. She wiped at her face to bat away a tear as it raced from her eye across her cheek toward the floor: she was not going to break down, she turned around to Serena, forcing a formidable grin but Serena's crystal-clear piercing eyes saw straight through the façade, her face immediately tweaked into a puckered brow.

"B what's wrong – is it the dress? I'm sure Eleanor could make you something if you don't like it, or I could ask my Mom if any of her designers have something – what is it is it the corset or the lace, do you think it's a little too," Serena paused as she regarded her friend discerningly, tracing her for the real signs of distress realizing that the dress was incidental to the issue, "B come on tell me." She crossed to the Chaise Longue and sat looking up at her friend, Blair lifted up her dress and crossed the room, sitting beside Serena and taking a few deep breaths, looking out of the window to clear her head and calm herself.

"Everything," she admitted sincerely – for the first time, remaining composed and fighting back the tears, "nothing's right anymore Serena…in a few months I'm going to lose all the people and places I love more than anything, exchanging them for exile to a strange foreign environment that I don't understand where there are different rules…different customs…and I'm going to be changing my life here for a joyless one, trapped in a marriage that I'm not sure I want anymore."

"Wait, slow down," Serena implored sympathetically – Blair had rolled off so many things that didn't make any sense that half of them had simply gone through one ear and out the other, "why are you gonna lose us all – I mean you can come and see us anytime right?"

Blair let out an ironic laugh, "Serena come-on…I'm going to be the Princess of Monaco, I won't be able to do anything normally like I would before…everywhere I go I'll be surrounded by a platoon of guards…everywhere…my life here will be over, I will only go where I am told and when I'm allowed Serena, I have to carry myself with a grace, that doesn't include just flying out to New York to shop whenever I want to."

Serena paused mildly taken aback at Blair's seeming calm detachment which lay at odds with her verging on hysterical assessment of her future a few moments earlier, "And what about Louis?" Serena prodded, concerned, "I thought you were madly in love with him…I thought he'd swept you off your feet…what about Chuck, does he have something to do with this, is he messing with you?"

"Chuck…has nothing to do with it," Blair protested a little too defensively she chided herself internally after hearing how she had sounded, she had sounded like a scorned lover, "something's happened…that's put things in prospective, at first I could ignore that signs that our romance was dying, that I barely saw him, that I split my time between reading the classics and trying to ingratiate myself with the Courtiers…and then…like I said something happened."

. . .

_Don't fall to the depths of despair Upper East Siders, I have something that's going to make those concerned wish they'd covered their tracks better. _

. . .

"The purpose of your trip?" the Check-In attendant asked routinely.

Georgina lowered her sunglasses and smiled, her blood-red lips outlining her gloriously white teeth, "Pleasure," the Check-In attendant nodded and handed her, her boarding pass and Georgina turned around striding away with her hand-luggage, she picked out her phone and then decided how best to phrase her newly acquired information, she paused to raise her sunglasses as she spotted the teenage girl raising her camera phone – no doubt a Gossip Girl spot, the blogger was playing right into her fans, she started texting and put it away in her pocket and then it vibrated, she answered it and groaned as Ivy's voice rang out in the background, "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" she ended the call and switched off her phone, striding off toward the departure lounge.

. . .

_It seems I've netted a Bass – Chuck Bass – looks like he recently acquired some Hotels from the Wessex Chain, coincidence then that Eric Van Der Woodsen was spotted making out with Carlton Wessex? Seduction and subterfuge often go hand-in-hand, but we didn't expect this of E, looks like he made a deal with the devil, just make sure you don't get burned,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 7,

Sorry the update has been a little longer in coming than usual,

Chapter 8 up in a little while,

Acrobat

X

Reviews welcome and appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Gossip Girl**

.

_Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. _

.

_SHE'S BACK! _

_When Georgina Sparks departed JFK two days ago we doubted we'd seen the last of her, and we were right – though we have to say we were a little surprised by the souvenir she picked up on her whirlwind trip to California. Speaking of whirlwinds, Chuck Bass is at the centre of a hurricane and we don't think this one will blow over any time soon,_

_You know you love me,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Chuck had allowed his legal staff to manoeuvre around him like a blur in his suite, he had refrained from drinking: that would help neither the pressing legal situation nor would it help his growing concern over his attitude toward Blair. He had sent her away with Louis on the proviso that he would be a better fit for her than he ever could be, but if Louis had really neglected Chuck's beautiful rose and allowed her to wither and become embittered then clearly he had misjudged the Prince. Regardless his getting involved in the situation would only harm Blair, especially in lieu of information regarding her ongoing pregnancy, right now keeping his distance and hurting her was his best course of action. He could focus on what he needed to do to protect his company; she could focus on what she needed to do in regard to her engagement and Louis.

"Chuck," he heard Eric's soft voice permeating his subconscious somewhere and focused back upon his stepbrother, "finally you're back in the land of the living…the New York Times want to run a spread on you and your scandals – I assume you want it cancelled?" Chuck nodded simply and Eric paused, "You know I hate to point it out being new to this world Chuck but your company is in real trouble here, if you don't do something soon then it's all going to come crashing down around you – right now the only thing keeping us safe is the fact that Gossip Girl didn't get a photo to substantiate her claim and the Wessex's are too scared to come forward." Eric paused again regarding Chuck, "Tell me what's on your mind so we can move past _this_."

Chuck shook his head, "It's none of your concern."

In all the time they had known each other Eric had learned to keenly interpret Chuck's expressions and perceive his moods to interpret exactly what he was seeing, he too had mastered the art of fooling parents into believing whatever he wanted them to believe so he understood every well when Chuck was trying to avoid him – this was one of those instances but he couldn't discern exactly what. The disinterest and detachment from the situation suggested whatever was troubling him was actually an immediate concern, since it wasn't the business it had to pertain to one of Chuck's other passions: love, and his most prolific and enduring lover was Blair Waldorf, recently engaged Princess-to-be of Monaco and fiancée to Prince Louis Grimaldi. Although Eric had clearly been misreading Chuck for some time if he hadn't judged that it was Blair rather than Raina whom Chuck had really been torn up about.

"It's Blair isn't it?" Eric called out and Chuck went to protest but Eric put up a hand, "look whatever issues you two have you need to work past them, you have an expanding business to run which is at present teetering on the brink, and she's about to marry into a Royal Family – there's a certain dignity to that post, once she's married you can't follow her and she can't long for you."

"Don't you think I know that," Chuck ruled out, following one of his legal staff as they left them alone, presumably going to procure some papers to try and stem the flow of news and the growing coverage of the scandal, "and the reason I'm so distracted is because I'm trying to stay away from her so she can fall back in love with Louis and forget all about me…trouble is I think the more I stay away the more I long for her…we kissed the other day, I left her there and she was devastated: she was supposed to go back to Louis. Trouble is I doubt neither of us are going to move on quickly."

Eric frowned, after the exposé had broken and the news about Dan had come out followed by the news that Vanessa had given the book to publishers without his position he'd thought that they might actually allow calm to settle on the Upper East Side – it had been a narrow-sighted notion. He checked his phone as it vibrated in his pocket and looked at the Gossip Girl blast and frowned, quickly sending a text to Serena and then focusing back upon Chuck.

"Look…there's a dinner tonight that my Mom's throwing although she was pretty cagey about details: I do know Blair will be there though, you can talk to her then, you have to tell her how you're feeling Chuck, you can't just bottle all this up and then expect it to go away…okay?" He nodded after a few moments internal deliberation.

. . .

_A leopard never changes its spots and S always was a predator in matters of the heart, so its no surprises she's been spotted in one of her old haunts with Lonely Boy, especially after she fooled us all into thinking she was smitten with N – you always were a tease S, but something tells me this is no booty call. _

. . .

Serena leaned forward; she couldn't bear the awkwardness, even if she acknowledged that its existence was the sole responsibility of Dan: she had played no part in causing tension between them. It was of course true she had resolved to forgive him and forget about what he had done – these clearly weren't his actions, but the fact remained that there had been deep rooted sentiment behind those words, and even if those word his general opinion it meant at some point he had to have contained those opinions.

"Why did you write those things about me, why didn't you tell me," she enquired calmly, making her voice sound as if it was the most innocent question, "did you think I'd be mad or did you just not want to tell me?"

"Serena, you have to believe me," Dan implored, "if I could've told you I would have but…I didn't want to risk our relationship on some internal anxieties…I didn't want to risk losing our friendship over some issues I had at first…over my preconceptions…and I mean recently yeah I probably should've said something but you were never there Serena, I mean if you weren't with Charlie then you were with Blair or you were under threat from Juliet…and I couldn't really help in that situation so I just got closed out…to be honest I've been so sidelined recently writing about it all just seemed to make it easier."

Serena frowned, "But if our friendship was so important why have secrets…I've told you things I'd never have told anyone else before in my life-"

"-yeah but only after you told Blair or Nate or Chuck, or all three of them Serena," Dan interjected but then immediately regretted how aggressive the delivery had sounded, "look…all I can say is that I never meant for that stuff to come to the surface and Vanessa did it without my permission, I can only apologize for how I portrayed you…it wasn't in the most unfavourable light."

"Would you have told me someday, if this hadn't have come to light, would we be having this conversation?" Serena asked, almost afraid of the answer. She had realized her feelings for Nate now and Dan had gradually become that first real-love, the one that you fall head-over-heels for but that you are never meant to end up marrying and living to old age together because it's the first time, you're new at it and you have to discover other things, meet new people and broaden your horizons. For some time she'd seen him in the capacity of a brother, though their bond was naturally slightly closer than the normal sibling bond…but somehow she knew that depending on answer he might hurt her…hurt her in a way she'd never have expected.

Dan bit his lip – he was unwilling, and that was enough, Serena knew before he opened his mouth.

"Maybe one day I might have told you Serena but…I can't…I can't promise I would have, it was a pretty big thing for me to even write it down Serena…telling you might have been a little too far, like I said I wanted to preserve our friendship, telling you might have damaged it." Dan admitted honestly – it had been harder than he'd expected to admit that though he hadn't wanted the exposé to come to light the feelings in it were real ones, ones that couldn't be ignored indefinitely, ones that seriously troubled him at his core.

"Unbelievable," Serena said laughing to herself in a resigned way, Serena got up and Dan rose but she shrank away from him, "you don't even think what you said in it was unfair do you?" Dan didn't reply and Serena pushed past him, heading to the door, "You know what Dan…just stay out of my way if I'm so horrible, I actually came here to tell you I'd forgiven you and that I knew that you'd never have done something like that…guess I was wrong? I should never have even let Nate talk me into this." She turned on her heel and stormed out furiously into the late summer sunshine, she couldn't face Dan, she couldn't face anyone at that point.

. . .

It was only right that she left, she had found her dress, she had settled that though unhappy with Louis he could give her more than Chuck could, and at least in that relationship she could attempt to repair bonds, while Chuck continued to burn any bridges still connecting them. She walked among the rooms of the penthouse where she'd grown up and somehow it all seemed so foreign in comparison to Monaco – has she lost her attachment to home? In a sense she had somehow assumed Monaco as her new home and as such given it a place in her heart, it was not the place where New York was – nowhere would ever fill that place once she turned her back on the City, but somehow she almost felt as though she had come to terms with it. She had tried and she had failed to build up her relationship with Chuck, and now she looked a fool for even attempting it.

She had so many regrets about her life in New York, she could recall all the times she'd planned on leaving, whether it was for a semester in France or whether she imagined that the glamorous lifestyle of London or Milan or any of the great European Cities would suit her better…but somehow the city caught her attention and brought her back to it. A large part of it was that it was where her friends were, were her family had been – but somehow it was the allure of the city, it was something that she would miss. Something she would miss terribly.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Nate quipped as the elevator doors slid open, chiming at the same instant, combining to make her heart skip a beat. He eyed up the cases and raised an eyebrow and Blair giggled – she couldn't fail to, she and Nate had never been meant for each other that had been a fairytale concept dreamt up by them and endeared with a sense of destiny by the two of them that had blown any chemistry between them way out of proportion. They were happier as friends than they ever had been when they were together.

She shrugged, "I just thought it be easier." She settled into the Chaise Lon and gestured for Nate to take the armchair, "Guess fate had other plans."

Nate smiled, "So you're really going to Monaco – no coming back, without putting up a fight?"

"Of course not," if anyone thought she hadn't contested the prospect of spending her entire life in Monaco then they were wrong, it was simply that she had accepted the inevitability of the situation in lieu of recent events, besides if she was ever to achieve happiness with Louis again – and following Chuck's reaction to her it seemed the logical course to take – then she would have to do it Monaco, New York was the place she had fallen most deeply in love with him but they would not live there, she needed to live there and see whether it would work in his native environment – the place they would one day live together, "but I have to be realistic Nate, my relationship is in trouble…Chuck made clear he isn't interested and if that's how he feels then I have to look at my options – I was really in love with Louis once, maybe I can be again."

"Since when did Blair Waldorf risk everything?" Nate enquired only half-joking, Blair was normally so determined and definite in her ambitions and aims, the prospect of her dealing in _"maybe"_ only compounded Nate's growing belief that she still harboured feelings for Chuck and that going back to Louis was not the right decision and would take her down a dark path, one that didn't end in a fairytale wedding and Royal Marriage, one that ended somewhere he didn't want to think about.

She shrugged again, "I don't have any reason to not go Nate, sure I have you and S here…but…Louis loves me…I could love him again…I have to try."

"And what if I said that Chuck still loved you?" Nate interjected – it was risky but he was fairly sure of Chuck's feelings, and somehow he knew that it was what Blair needed to here, not just what she wanted to hear – she had to know Chuck was someone she needed to fight for.

"Then…then I'd say you're being naïve Nate."

"Blair he came to see you the moment you asked, yeah he reacted frostily to your kiss but wouldn't you if you were in his shoes?" Nate demanded, "It was the hardest thing he's ever done letting you go and try with Louis, cutting all ties, and you waltzing back in and dropping the baby bombshell…yeah he backed off Blair – because he wants you to be happy and he can't accept that you'd ever find happiness with him, that you'd ever find romance – because of how you two are…you're gonna have to fight for him if you want him, but if you leave now you will never get that back and you will be with Louis for better or for worse and you'll be trapped there and you'll be alone." Nate stood up, not waiting for a reply, "Just think about it." He turned to leave but the elevator chimed and he forced an amicable grin as Louis stepped out, dressed in a crisp grey suit looking flustered but nevertheless ecstatic to see Blair, Nate heard a very false cheer from Blair as she crossed the room to him, the two kissed passionately though Nate doubted if Blair reciprocated the feeling.

"What are you doing here?" she asked inquisitively, casting an urgent glance toward Nate.

"Am I not allowed to surprise you?" he asked, but Blair broke away from him icily, folding her arms and turning away from him, assuming a more defensive pose. Louis crossed to beside her and clasped her hands tightly, but in a loving grip rather than a vice like grasp, "I had just assumed that it would be excellent for us to share your last few days here in New York, so that we could relive our courtship? Besides Serena's mother was most insistent, she is throwing us a Ball tonight – a farewell gala for you Blair…I had assumed you would be pleased…evidently I was wrong."

"No," Blair protested quickly, "no…it's fine…it's…it's beautiful." She smiled and pecked him on the cheek, somehow she had known a reckoning was coming, she had just hoped that it might be upon her terms – she had clearly waited too long.

. . .

She had to get out – she should never have trusted Georgina, she had been foolish enough to bring someone else in on the operation, and some greater celestial entity was now rebuking her for that overconfidence. That was the one rule of being a con-artist, you never got conned yourself – if you kept it a one person operation then you'd be in complete control, she had brought that stupid stuck up New York bitch into her sphere and she had been completely taken over. She continued throwing pieces of clothing from the wardrobe into her case and then froze as there was a knock at the door.

"Hey Charlie," Serena's sickeningly sweet voice called from the other side, "the concierge said you were in – sorry I know I shouldn't have just dropped in unannounced but I needed to tell you about something – I needed advice." Ivy took a deep breath and crossed the room, half-opening the door, grinning – unwilling to admit Serena into the room in case she saw the half-packed case on the bed. "Hey," Serena greeted, "you're not gonna invite me in?"

Ivy's smile didn't waver as she opened the door and Serena swept in but she rolled her eyes skyward as though somehow, somewhere up there someone would receive her dirty look, Serena surveyed the bedroom and then turned around, that confused pout that so infuriated Ivy etched upon her face. She slumped on the edge of the bed and looked up into Ivy's eyes and then the confusion turned into a frown. "I'm sorry," Serena apologized and Ivy's smile changed to – she didn't understand why Serena was apologizing, "I should have paid you more attention but things with Blair…and Nate…and Dan have been complicated – I never rearranged our coffee date did I? Look we can go now just stop unpacking your stuff Charlie, it's a stupid reason to leave."

She laughed honestly.

"That wasn't why I was leaving…I guess I actually missed my Mom…maybe College so far way from Florida isn't such a good idea you know?" Serena nodded comprehendingly, "Besides my flight is in like four hours – I just booked on the earliest one, I was gonna call you from the airport to apologize." She hadn't planned upon but at that point she didn't have any reason not to throw a few more lies into the murky fog of misleading facts she had fed Serena.

Serena was grinning again now though, "Well hey maybe you shouldn't be too hasty, look why don't you just stay for tonight – your Mom's coming into town tonight for Blair's leaving gala – my Mom's throwing it, we'll go buy you a new dress, you can talk to your Mom at the gala and then you can decide what to do okay?"

Ivy found herself nodding compliantly as though she was completely willing to stay in New York for an hour longer – she was trapped, trapped like a rodent in the headlights – the point of death, or in her case discovery hurtling toward her.

. . .

_This just in – Southern Belle Charlie Rhodes spotted shopping at Dolce & Gabanna for a gorgeous dress for tonight's not so secret surprise farewell gala for Queen B with her fairy god-cousin Serena Van Der Woodsen but why the long face Charlie? If you aren't happy shopping with S we'll gladly trade, _

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Hope you liked Chapter 8,

9 up soon,

Acrobat,

Reviews much appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Gossip Girl**

. . .

_Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. _

. . .

_V VERY MUCH BACK_

_The last time a commoner stood up to a Queen, the Queen ended up executed and the commoner led the people to a new order – although we aren't sure that revolution is what was on V's mind when she flew in from Barcelona this morning. So what's the secret V – are you here on a mission of peace or a mission of deceit? All we know is that our Queen B never flinched before and we expect a suitably swift resolution to your intrusion,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

Vanessa idled in the lobby, turning away from the frequent flashes of the paparazzi cameras as they hovered at the threshold of the building, attempting to get a better photo of the girl that had lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding the scandal and sin of the Upper East Side for all to see. However she wasn't here to exacerbate things, if possible she was hoping to right the wrongs – evidently Dan hadn't realised what a great career opportunity he had been handed and his handling of the situation: pointing out he never gave the book had killed any chance he had of a further career so it only made sense for her to come and clean up after him. Though any return had been risky she knew it was the right thing to do and even if it meant a confrontation with Blair or Serena it would be worth it if she could smooth over relations between them and Dan. Though he had rejected her and cast her adrift she recognized that it was time to take account of her actions and make them right, if that were possible.

The elevator rang out in the lobby and Vanessa strolled towards it cautiously and breathed a sigh of relief when she caught sight of Eric strolling out though his face did not mirror her relief, rather it expressed both contempt and mild anger at the same time. He attempted to walk past her but then turned on his heel to talk to her, Vanessa smiled weakly at him but he didn't return it, he merely frowned – that was a mercy, had it have been Serena, she wasn't entirely sure whether she would even have been given the opportunity to talk.

"What are you doing here? Don't you think you've caused enough damage?" Eric prodded, clearly he had been hurt by the publishing of the exposé, she had recognized how close Eric and Dan had become as step-brothers, clearly she hadn't judged how far some of the things Dan had written about him had affected him.

"I know that what I did wasn't right, at least not in your eyes, but I want to make it right," Vanessa stated sincerely, trying to read Eric he seemed to become more interested at the statement that she was here to try and improve the situation, "I want them to know that Dan would never have meant any of those things that he said and I want you all to know that if I had known how this, how you would be perceived…I wouldn't have published it…at least not if I knew how much damage it would cause all the people closest to him."

"You aren't sorry," Eric replied unsympathetically, continuing before she had a chance to be sorry, "if you were sorry you would have stayed away and let it fizzle out – those cameramen are proof that you aren't sorry Vanessa because if you had stayed in Spain the exposé wouldn't have catapulted back into the news. And if you think Dan didn't mean what he said then perhaps you don't know him because he's made clear to Serena that he meant everything that he said in that book – even the lies and the things that weren't true apparently."

"Lies? Everything he put in there was true-" Vanessa began but found herself cut off by a fearsome glare from Eric. He shook his head.

"Really? Cause I don't remember Nate having a cocaine problem or Blair sleeping with a Congressman to get the Empire out of a legal entanglement that never existed," Eric shot back fiercely, "I think you should go Vanessa, now, and don't even think about showing up at the gala tonight – you left the City once and it's time that you went again, for good this time." Eric pushed past her and lifted an arm to shield his eyes from the bright flashes of the camera as he sprinted away from the paparazzi. She might have been back but he knew her appearance wouldn't make amends to Serena if anything it would make things much worse.

Vanessa watched him go and assessed her situation – perhaps she had been naïve to return home, she settled into her chair and then she immediately stood up again as the door at the opposite side of the building opened admitting Serena and Charlie, both heavily down with shopping bags with the dream labels of girls across the world screaming out at Vanessa as they scurried towards the lift. They were both giggling and chatting girlishly but Serena stopped dead the moment she laid eyes on Vanessa and immediately dropped her bags, crossing the room to talk to her in full glare of the waiting paparazzi.

"What do you think you're doing here? You don't think you've done enough damage?" Serena demanded exasperatedly, finding herself frighteningly close to physical violence toward Vanessa – she had never gone that far and never would but she founds herself scared by the prospect of actually hitting another person: it wasn't in her character, it wasn't who she was. Yet, Vanessa always seemed to be in a different category to everyone else.

"Look I just want to…want to make things better-"

"-and how are you going to do that Vanessa, you don't know anyone in the media who can get this exposé out of circulation and you can't stop the entire City talking about my exaggerated exploits in the bedroom – Vanessa that book made me look like a drug-addict, alcoholic and for lack of a better word a slut: Vanessa I might have been those things once upon a time but now I'm different – I know Dan didn't write those things so the question comes down to you: did you add those chapters?"

"What?" Vanessa asked, shocked. She might not have a high opinion of Serena as a person but she would never exaggerate things, she believed in integrity and honesty above lies and mud-slinging, she hadn't wanted that for Dan's novel, "Serena you _have_ to believe me I'd never do anything like-"

"-yes you would," Serena replied, ignoring Vanessa's cries of innocence, "just leave us alone, you and your poisonous mind – just leave us alone Vanessa, you never belonged here and in an ideal world we never would have met. You can't do anything now, just leave." Serena turned her back and strode toward the elevator, confident that she had finally crushed Vanessa and convinced her to leave her and her friends alone.

Vanessa watched the leggy blonde step inside the lift with the relatively small auburn gall and watched the doors closed and then fumbled about in her phone and pulled out a number, on a long shot and an idea that had only just occurred to her, she thumbed the call button and let the tone ring out before her contact picked up at the other end, "Hey it's Vanessa Abrahams – I have an exclusive on Dan Humphrey's exposé, do you have a slot on the news?"

. . .

The sheer vastness of the room was jaw-dropping, glittering chandeliers hung over-head illuminating brightly the perimeter ranks of tables – three rows deeps – while a few of the keener guests swayed on the Dancefloor to a tune from the string quartet who played a merry, yet slow melody that allowed the couples to serenely trace the dance-floor, calm and comfortable in the embrace of one another. Serena looked at her cousin and smiled, pleased at her efforts that afternoon, Charlie wore her hair tied up with two curls either side, framing her beautiful face and highlighting her pale yet alluring complexion. She smiled at Serena, the sleeveless dress showing of her chest-bones and the Van Der Woodsen necklace heirloom that Lily had loaned Charlie that afternoon for the gala, her dress was cast in a deep indigo as she looked around the chamber – searching for someone.

"Who are you looking for?" Serena quizzed, catching sight of Charlie's wandering eyes.

Ivy regarded the towering blonde, dressed in a cream dress that hovered just above her knees, exaggerating the length of her legs in conjunction with her slacks.

"Blair," she responded quickly, hoping that her hesitation hadn't been noticed, the blonde batted away a stray strand of hair that had fallen from her carefully arranged sweeping fringe that cut across her face to the right as her blonde hair fell in loose swirls either side of her head, "I wanted to wish her good luck with the wedding."

Serena nodded, Ivy smiled, contented that her plan had come off.

"I guess she must have worked things out with Louis," Ivy watched as the blonde's eyes shot over her shoulder towards her oncoming boyfriend Nate, and she spotted her chance as she caught sight of her real quarry – Georgina, she locked eyes with Serena and Serena smiled like a smitten schoolgirl, "do you mind if I-"

"-go," Ivy consented, "I'll be right here once you come back." She watched and waited until Serena had been delivered into an embrace and kiss from her boyfriend and then slipped away towards Georgina, moving through the crowd so as to avoid giving Georgina any pre-warning that she was coming toward her.

. . .

Serena broke away from the kiss and then stroked at Nate's face and instantly realized that he was guilty about something for some reason, though she couldn't discern what he could be guilty about, she stroked at his chest reassuringly and he looked down at her and smirked reassuringly, though still tinged with that distant preoccupation, the worry that though he had pushed it to the back of his mind was still so clearly visible to those who knew him – to those who could dissect his expressions so very easily.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, drumming her fingers on his chest as she broke apart from him to give her space to really regard him – he definitely seemed uneasy, his stance lacked his usual confident swagger that exuded such warm and comfort into a room whenever he arrived, now he seemed jumpy – as though he were waiting for something.

He shrugged, and led her away down the stairs and onto the Dancefloor assuming the position for a waltz as the quartet began to play the next pre-selected tune – it was one of Lily's favourites, Serena noted that whenever it claim to hiring entertainment she rarely strayed from her tried and tested ones, it was mid-tempo, fast enough that there would be enough people willing to dance since it meant you actually required very little skill since few observing would be able to tell if you made an error but slow enough that you could talk to your partner. She looked at Nate's deep blue eyes, so very concerned and asked again, "You're keeping something aren't you?"

"Look," he said as he swung her around, swopping places with another couple, "I might have…done something that is a little…shady," Serena raised an eyebrow to press him for more information and he sighed, "look I've just done a little…I'm gonna make Chuck and Blair meet Serena – they need to know where they stand with one another and they're both as open to making the decision now as they'll ever be."

Serena frowned, "She just got back with Louis…don't you think you should give them some time?"

"She wasn't happy to see him," Nate counteracted as they swung around again, more vigorously this time, "her eyes don't light up like they did in the beginning, like they always do when they see Chuck – I don't care if she's pregnant and Louis is the father Serena we can't keep them from one another, it isn't right, besides they deserve to be happy."

Serena nodded comprehendingly, "When are they gonna get here?"

"Chuck already is," Nate informed, "Blair said she'd text me once she got here."

. . .

Georgina surveyed Nate and Serena waltzing the night away together and so regretted that she had never learned to lip-read proficiently, and then marvelled at the possibilities if she were a puppet master and this were her realm, she could make them do such fantastic, wicked things and she would be there to enjoy chaos as it reigned. She snapped out of her megalomania as she became aware of another watcher performing reconnaissance beside her and turned and smiled, embracing Ivy warmly and looking at her with her famed friendly smile that made her _friends_ so very unsettled and uncomfortable when they were around her.

"You don't look pleased to see me?" Georgina enquired playfully, draining the last of her champagne and then grabbing another glass from a passing tray as a waiter charged past on the single objective mission of crossing the room without stopping to chat – Lily had clearly hired good caterers for this function; it was a shame it would all be ruined in a few hours.

"I can't believe you did this," Ivy said in a whisper that to anyone passing by would have sounded like a friendly exchange between friends rather than a stressed cry from someone growing increasingly desperate about their mission, "you went to California you got her and you brought her back here – Georgina we had a deal, I would get into the Van Der Woodsen house, steal the jewellery, we'd split it 50/50 and then never see each other again."

Georgina let out a shrill, mildly unhinged cry of laughter.

"You know for a con-artist you're pretty stupid," she said sipping at her fresh champagne and savouring the taste before turning back to her former accomplice, "first you failed to notice that I'd blocked off your escape strategy by telling you that you were intending on going to College in the city, second you were foolish enough to believe that any of Lily Van Der Woodsen's jewellery could ever be sold – it's almost all unique and instantly recognisable and finally you failed to notice that I'm a bitch, you really should have done your research before making a deal with a devil, now you're just going to have to accept the consequences."

Ivy frowned and then turned around as Georgina smiled and waved at Serena who was standing there looking mildly strained but otherwise contented as she forced a smile for the benefit of the girl she thought was her cousin.

"Cece's here – she wants to speak to us." Serena greeted, locking arms with a reluctant Ivy as the two disappeared into the crowd. Georgina turned back to watch those dancing below and then thought better of it, watching those arriving and then spotted the guests of honour – Blair and Louis sweeping in, Blair was wearing an emerald green dress – a colour that only she really made work since on most it made them look larger than they actually were. Although something was different about Blair, something that to the naked eye might seem insignificant but to Georgina seemed quite prominent, and then she realized it. Blair was wearing a dress a size bigger than her usual slim figure – and she never put on wait, ever. She traced Blair's form to find the source of complaint and then hit upon hit – her chest, normally flat and straight was almost imperceptibly bulged slightly, she licked her lips as she turned back to watch the dancers and opened her phone. She would hit back at both of them tonight, she was almost salivating with glee as she thumbed the send key.

. . .

_A face speaks a thousand rumours, and if we have a secret to hide that may be betrayed in our expression we often choose something to distract from our face. Dressed to impress with a new Pearl necklace we're left wondering whether B's wardrobe choice is to delight us or dupe us – we think she has something to hide. _

. . .

Blair looked around and spotted the staircase off to the left-hand side, suitably close to the bar that she could easily say she was going to get them drinks; the que was also suitably long that she could justify an extended absence, however she felt Louis wheeling them away from the bar deeper into the crowd and found them moving swiftly towards a bulky, tall, suited individual whom she picked out as a member of Louis's staff, they all wore the same suit like a kind of faux militia. She smiled at him though it did nothing to move his stubborn expression.

"Your majesty," he said bowing slightly to Louis, his voice mildly accented in French, "I have the information you have requested." Louis nodded and then looked at Blair, his expression said that he wished to be left alone and she smiled acceptingly.

"I'll get us some drinks." She pecked him softly on the lips and turned, contented with her good fortune as she blended into the crowd and disappeared, glad that her imitation-60s do, complete with pearls and sleeveless black dress gave her a low enough profile to disappear amongst the glitzier numbers other guests were sporting that night.

Louis looked to his guard and took hold of the file, opening them and deciphering their contents, they were photos taken of a limo – specifically Chuck Bass's limo – travelling through town at a particular time stamp. He leafed through till about half an hour after the first time stamp it arrived at a designer Wedding-Dress shop and Bass got out of the car, disappearing into the building. The car drove off and about half an hour later Blair exited, looking mildly distressed, the close-ups showed that her normally immaculate make-up had on this occasion become smudged as though she had been crying. He handed them back to the guard.

"I am sorry your majesty." He apologized.

"Why?" Louis quizzed, "You should be pleased, you have done the job to the best of your ability."

"I shall inform Princess Sophie to have her belongings readied to be shipped back here from Monaco." The guard informed him helpfully but Louis's face creased scornfully at that suggestion.

"Surely you are joking? I wish to have this out with her – I will not be embroiled in a scandal, destroy any other copies of these photos you have." Louis ordered and his Aide nodded, disappearing into the crowd as Louis crossed to stand and watch the dancing couples – he allowed his mind to drift back to the grand balls thrown at the palace in Monaco. He and Blair were supposed to be the ones that everyone had their eyes on – and they would be, whether Blair wished it to be so or not, the happiness of the bride had after all never been particularly important in Royal marriages.

. . .

Serena swept inside the antechamber, Charlie following reluctantly behind her and did not return the kind smile with which her grandmother greeted her, however she relented at a furious glare from her own mother and smiled in a mild manner that suggested it was being forced rather than a general representation of a granddaughter's love and affection for her grandmother, Charlie strolled in and drew up slightly behind Serena.

"Hello Serena dear," Cece greeted, "and _Ivy_ – how glad I am to see you too!"

Serena saw Charlie stiffen in her peripheral vision and pondered it looking to her mother though Lily looked as surprised at the slip of name as Serena had been, she hadn't realized Cece was having memory issues…she had lots of issues but her impeccable memory had never been one of them, Serena sent a quizzical glance toward Lily, urging her to say something and Serena saw her mother register it and ponder how to venture it delicately before actually questioning her mother.

"Mother this is Charlie, your other granddaughter – you remember Carol's daughter?" she urged politely and this prompted a shrill laugh from Cece.

"If only she were Lily my dear," she waved at one of the passing waiters who presumably at the pre-arranged command shut the doors the room, Serena could see Charlie looking increasingly uncomfortable, idling from foot-to-foot and avoiding eye contact with anyone, "you see Carol hasn't been entirely truthful to any of us, and neither has Ivy here. I had a very interesting visit from your friend Serena, Georgina Sparks?" Serena allowed her mind to flit back, she had seen the blast about Georgina bringing back a special group but there hadn't been a spotted photo attached, she had only heard about the gala and the fact that her grandmother would be attending a few hours previously – she hadn't considered piecing those bits together. She looked at Charlie…or Ivy…at the auburn-haired girl standing beside her who now seemed to have the greatest desire to leave the room.

Serena nodded for Cece to continue, "It would appear from what Miss Sparks says that Ivy is a con-artist and I have had a private investigator corroborate this, Charlie Rhodes never left Miami, Carol has been hiding this and this girl has been masquerading as her in order to access Charlie's trust fund and I was unfortunately foolish enough to be taken in by that the first time around. She has been lying to us all," Cece moved forward to stand only slightly away from Ivy now, squaring up to her, "I will have all my money back you foolish little girl and then I will see you put behind bars for your insidious little game, you could run if you wished but I would not be so foolish, the police are en route, you will not be able to leave this City."

Serena paused as her phone vibrated and checked it, scanning the message from Nate and then looking to her mom and grandma and then to Ivy, "Are you guys okay if I…?"

"Of course," Lily ventured, masquerading her shock about the revelation well and what it meant for the family and trust within the family as a whole, "you go and enjoy the Party we'll…deal with these problems from here."

. . .

Blair crept through the door, only opening it slightly and immediately shutting it behind her as she crept into the dimly lit room, Chuck was stood looking out the window across the river and turned back to her, smiling at her in greeting, there was warmth and Blair returned it though she measured it this time, her smile did not say that she was desperate for him, it merely registered a friendly greeting and also held back the question of her giving herself to him in check.

"You look…beautiful." He greeted admiring her.

"Thank you," she said and then paused awkwardly, pondering how best to move forward – she had only a short amount of time in which to confront the issue, "Chuck…why did you come here…why did you want this meeting with me? What is this about…because I either need closure or I need clarity Chuck – I can't keep doing this both ways."

He nodded acceptingly, he had reconsidered his position over the past few days in between attempting to cover his tracks in regard to the Wessex Affair and keep his head above water as he tried to push forward on the acquisition of the Wessex Hotels, admittedly he had delegated a lot of that to Eric recently since he had been so distracted by Blair and he had to admit that his stepbrother had been right to suggest that he meet Blair.

"Which do you want?" he enquired.

"I don't know Chuck," she said exasperatedly turning away from him, "I though Louis and I were finished the last time we met…now he's suddenly turned it all around and come back to the City for me…this gala is in our honour Chuck, maybe I was being too hasty to rule out making it up with him…I have to know whether I can work it out with him."

"For the baby?" he pressed.

"For me," she said determinedly, "the baby doesn't have any bearing on my decision making."

"But you don't know how you feel about me?" he prodded, "Because I've had time to reflect Blair, even with everything else going on – Humphrey's pitiful excuse for an exposé, the expansion of the Empire…the Gossip Girl blast about Wessex – even while I'm at the centre of a huge storm you are on my mind Blair, you control each and every thought I have…you completely absorb me into your being Blair. I want to be with you."

"Chuck I like you…maybe I even love you," she stated simply, "but I have to be realistic I'm engaged…to a Prince…I can't just break this off like any other relationship."

"Who says we'd be breaking it off," Chuck looked into her eyes, the unsettling boyish glint lingering in them, "Blair throughout the ages Royals have taken lovers – why couldn't I be that for you?"

"I don't-" Blair had her sentence cut off as he kissed her and took advantage of her open mouth, she relented for a moment and then gave into the passion of the kiss and looked into his eyes before breaking away from him – not because she wanted to but because she had to. "Look this…this maybe we can work with…just…just call me…I have to go speak to Louis."

Chuck waited for a few minutes as she left and then slipped out behind her, pausing each time he drew closer to her in order to make it appear if anyone was watching that they'd been doing things that were entirely independent and unrelated to one another.

. . .

Blair pushed through the crowd and even avoided Serena as she drifted in her love-filled idle toward Louis, she drew up close to him and kissed him affectionately on the lips and he looked down at her smiling, she spun round and caught Serena's questioning eye and winked at her as she drew apart from Louis and looked up at her fiancé, he grinned back at her and then leaned close to her and whispered into her ear.

"We have things to discuss later."

Blair allowed that to register and the tone he had used – it had almost been suggestive, but how could he have known and then her eyes drifted towards the policeman sweeping up the stairs, Serena parted from Nate and drifted off into the crowd and then ushered Charlie toward them, although Blair noted that Serena lacked the loving familial affection she had showed Charlie at the beginning, her eyes were cold and lacked love. Serena delivered Ivy to the policemen, "This is the girl that you're here to arrest Officer."

"Thanks m'am but we're here to arrest two more," two other Officers swept up beside their leader and Serena watched as first Chuck and then Eric were wrestled out of the crowd, "Chuck Bass, Eric Van Der Woodsen you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit blackmail." Serena couldn't stifle a cry as she felt tears sting at her eyes as she watched the two of them be cuffed, she cast her head round as Nate grabbed her as she fell to the ground and spotted Blair, her eyes tearing up but non-falling from them. She didn't even register the phone vibrating in her pocket.

. . .

_Once we have found a voice we must be wary of those who would use it against us._

. . .

Vanessa flinched under the strong studio lights, the bright almost white light shining painfully into her eyes as she sweated under the watchful gaze of the interviewer who delightfully enjoying manipulating everything she was saying.

"I didn't mean it like that – I said that she had turned her life around my getting the opportunity to write for a film producer!" Vanessa protested angrily, not that it made the slightest difference to the vile interviewer who simply grinned as he moved for the kill.

"No?" he quizzed innocently, "Then how did you mean it? Because it seems to me that Serena Van Der Woodsen as she is portrayed in the exposé you sponsored couldn't possibly win through on merit in anything, she seems to only have two advantages, she's attractive and she's seductive – those are your words Vanessa – could it be that she actually slept with the producer of that film to get the job?"

. . .

Blair read the post and dropped her phone to the floor, watching it shatter into a thousand pieces and not caring, because it was insignificant. None of it mattered anymore.

. . .

_Looks like B's planning on defying tradition and seeking a Wedding Cake from an artisan baker, we never realized she was a domestic goddess but our sources say that B has a bun in the oven – so maybe she's already practicing? And what about S sleeping with the Producer of her film to get her job or her little brother getting arrested for blackmail?_

_Looks like you all have some explaining to do,_

_You know you love me,_

_Xoxo Gossip Girl_

. . .

To be continued,

Acrobat,

Reviews and responses welcomed and appreciated.


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